Preface

A large number of Western writers, as well as Eastern scholars influenced by them, hold the view that Islamic culture originated from the cultures that preceded it, particularly Greek and Roman culture. Since the Arab mind arranged these old elements in a new manner and changed their outward form, they argue, it consequently assumed the form of a distinct culture. It is because of this outlook that people of this class search for the elements of Islamic culture within Persian, Babylonian, Sarmatian, Phoenician, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman cultures. They then look for the elements of the mentality that took materials from these cultures according to its own convenience and arranged them in its own manner within the Arab nature.

A Misconception

But this is a gravely mistaken notion. For although it is true that the present is always influenced by the past, and that every innovation therefore draws assistance from the formative elements of what preceded it, it is nevertheless undeniable that Islamic culture is completely Islamic in its very essence and fundamental elements, and that it bears not the slightest influence of any non-Islamic culture. Certainly, in its external details, it has been influenced to some extent by Arab thought, Arab traditions, and earlier and later cultures. One aspect of a building is its design, its method of construction, and its development in accordance with its purpose; this is its real and essential substance. Another aspect is its color, variety, ornamentation, and beauty; these are matters of detail and minor features. Thus, when the edifice of a culture is judged in its entirety, it becomes clear that the edifice of Islamic culture is wholly the product of Islam’s formative process. Its design is its own. No assistance in this matter was taken from any other design. Its method of construction was devised by itself; no other model was imitated in this respect. Its purpose in construction was entirely distinct and unprecedented in its purpose. No other edifice had been built before it, nor has one been built after it.

In the same way, Islamic culture took precisely the form of construction required to achieve this purpose. In whatever it constructed for this purpose, no outside engineer has the power either to make improvements or modifications, or to add anything. What remains are matters of detail and minor features;

In this respect too, Islam has adopted very little from other cultures. Indeed, it may be said that most of this, as well, is Islam’s own. Muslims did, of course, take from other cultures materials of color, variety, ornamentation, and beauty, thereby enriching these aspects to some extent. And this has become so conspicuous in the eyes of observers that they are attempting to attribute the charge of imitation to the entire edifice.

The Definition of Culture

To settle this matter, we must first obtain an answer to the question: What is culture? People think that culture means a nation’s knowledge and sciences, literature and philosophy, arts and crafts, fine arts, social customs, way of life, state policy, and so on. In reality, however, these are not the vital substance of culture; they are merely its results and outward manifestations. Culture is neither the root nor the trunk of a tree, but only its branches, twigs, leaves, and foliage. The value of a culture cannot be determined on the basis of these external signs and shells. Therefore, setting these aside, we must reach the vital substance of culture and search for its foundation and fundamental elements.

The Fundamental Elements of Culture:

From this perspective, the first thing that must be sought in any culture is this: What is its conception of worldly life? What status does it grant to human beings in this world? What, in its view, is the nature of the world? What is the relationship between human beings and this world? How will people use and enjoy this world? In reality, these matters deeply influence all the activities of life. If this philosophy changes, the entire nature of the culture changes fundamentally.

The second question, deeply connected with the philosophy of life, concerns life’s ultimate goal. What is the purpose of human life in this world? What are all these arrangements, endeavors, efforts, labor, toil, conflicts, and struggles of human beings for? Toward what desired goal should people hasten? For what destination should the children of Adam strive and exert themselves? What outcome should people keep in mind in every action and every effort? In reality, it is this question of goals and aspirations that determines and regulates the course of human beings’ practical lives; accordingly, their mode of action and means of success become the basis of their lives.

The third question is: On what fundamental beliefs and ideas does the culture under discussion build human character? How does it mold the human mind and mentality? What kind of thoughts does it create in the human mind and brain? And what effective power does it possess that inspires people, in view of their goals and objectives, to adopt a particular conception of practical life? There is no room for dispute that human power of action is governed by the influence of human power of thought. The consciousness that makes the hands and feet active comes from the mind and brain. Whatever creed and belief, thoughts and reflections, and ideas and notions take hold of the mind and brain, the whole power of action becomes active under their influence. In other words, the emotions, feelings, desires, and aspirations within the mind will arise according to the mold in which it is formed, and the limbs will continue to act under their command. In reality, no culture in the world can be established without a fundamental creed and a foundational system of thought. Therefore, to understand and evaluate any culture, it is first necessary to understand its creed and system of thought and measure their excellence or deficiency—just as, to know the strength and durability of a building, it is essential to know the depth and strength of its foundation.

The fourth question is: What kind of person does the culture under discussion shape human beings into? In other words, with what kind of moral training does it prepare people to live a successful life according to its own ideals? What kind of disposition, qualities, and mentality does it produce in people, and what efforts does it make to develop and strengthen them? Into what kind of people do they mature through its particular moral instruction? Although the true purpose of culture is the reconstruction of the social order, that social edifice is built from the material of individuals. Its strength and durability depend on each stone being properly cut, each brick being sound and solid, each beam being strong, no part being worm-eaten, and no immature, inferior, or weak material being used anywhere. The fifth question is: How are relations between people established in that culture under different circumstances? What kind of relations are maintained with one’s own family, neighbors, friends, those who live with one, one’s subordinates, one’s superiors, the followers of one’s own culture, and those outside one’s culture? What rights over other people, and what rights of other people over oneself, are prescribed? What boundaries is one placed under? When granted freedom, how much freedom is one given, and when confined, to what extent is one confined? In reality, all matters of moral character, social relations, law, politics, and international relations fall within these questions. From this, too, it can be known what kind of family, society, and state the culture in question forms.

This discussion has shown that what is called culture is formed from five fundamental elements:

(1) Conception of worldly life,

(2) Life’s ultimate goal,

(3) Fundamental Beliefs and Thought

(4) Individual Training and (5) Social System.

Every culture in the world has been formed from these five fundamental elements. Needless to say, Islamic culture too has come into being through the help of these elements. In the present book, I have examined three elements of Islamic culture and explained upon what distinctive conception of life, what particular objective of life, and what fundamental beliefs and thought this culture has been established, and how these have given it the form of a special kind of culture distinct from all other cultures in the world. No discussion has been presented in this book regarding the remaining two elements. Of these, concerning individual organization, my two books, “A Researchful Look at Islamic Worship” and “Khutbat”*1 (Sermons 20 to 28), will be useful. As for the remaining one, a general picture of the “social system” can be found in my radio talks published under the title “Islam Ka Nizam-e-Hayat” (Islamic Way of Life).

Source:

1: This is a collection of nine lectures by the author. It has been published in the form of various booklets, namely: The Reality of Islam, The Reality of Faith, The Reality of Jihad, The Reality of Hajj, The Reality of Zakat, and The Reality of Prayer and Fasting.

One

Islam’s Conception of the Worldly Life:

From the very beginning, human beings have maintained a tremendously mistaken conception of themselves, and that mistaken conception still exists to this day. At times, they adopt the path of excess and come to regard themselves as the most advanced beings in the world. Their minds become filled with insolence, arrogance, and a spirit of rebellion. They are not prepared to regard any power as even their equal, let alone superior to their own power. Rather, they utter the words *********** (Who is more powerful than I?) and ************ (I am your supreme lord), and, considering themselves completely unaccountable, they appear as gods of oppression and tyranny and the very embodiment of injustice, wrongdoing, destruction, and ruin. At other times, they become afflicted with the disease of extreme submissiveness and come to regard themselves as the lowest of beings in the world. They bow their heads before trees, stones, seas, mountains, animals, the air, fire, clouds, lightning, the moon, the sun, the stars—in short, before every object in which they perceive any kind of power or the capacity to cause benefit or harm. Even if they perceive some power in another human being like themselves, they do not hesitate in the least to accept that person as a god and an object of worship.

Man’s Fundamental Identity:

Rejecting these two extreme notions, Islam has presented man with his true identity. It says: *************

“Man should consider what he was created from. He was created from a gushing fluid that emerges from between the backbone and the ribs.” — (Surah At-Tariq: 5–7)

*****************************

“Does man not observe that We created him from a drop of fluid? Yet now he has become an avowed adversary and sets forth arguments for Us, forgetting his own origin.”

( **************************************)

“He began the creation of man from clay; then He continued his progeny from an extract of humble fluid. Then He perfected his form and breathed into him of His spirit.” [Surah As-Sajdah: 7–9]

( ****************)

“We created you from dust, then from a drop of fluid, then from a clinging clot, then from a complete or incomplete lump of flesh, so that We may demonstrate Our power to you. And We keep whichever sperm-drop We will in the womb for a specified period; thereafter We bring you out as infants, then We develop you so that you reach maturity. Some of you die, while others reach the most feeble age, so that after having possessed understanding, they become incapable of understanding again.” [Surah al-Hajj: 5]

(****************)

“O man! What has deceived you concerning your Generous Lord, who created you, fashioned your limbs properly, established balance in your powers and abilities, and composed your elements in whatever form He willed? [Surah al-Infitar: 6–8]

(**************) “And Allah brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers; when you emerged, you knew nothing. He gave you ears, eyes and hearts, so that you might give thanks.”

( *************)

“Have you considered the sperm-drop that you emit into the wombs of women? Do you create a child from it, or do We create it? And We are not incapable of changing your physical forms and creating you in another form that you do not know. You already know about your first creation; so why do you not derive a lesson from it? Then have you considered the crops that you cultivate? Is it you who produce them, or are We the Producer? If We will, We can turn them into dry stubble, and you will merely keep saying, ‘Indeed, we have suffered loss; rather, we have been completely deprived.’ Then have you considered the water that you drink? Is it you who bring it down from the clouds, or are We the One who sends it down? If We will, We can make it bitter. So why do you not give thanks? Then have you considered the fire that you kindle? Is it you who produced the wood with which it is fueled, or are We the Creator? We created it as a reminder and as a provision for travelers. So, O man, declare the holiness of your Magnificent Lord.” — (Surah al-Waqi‘ah: 58–74)

(***************)

“When the danger of a storm struck you at sea, you forgot all your false deities, and then Allah alone came to your mind. But when He rescued you and brought you safely to land, you again assumed an attitude of rebellion; indeed, man is exceedingly ungrateful. Have you then become fearless that Allah may cause you to be swallowed by the earth, or send a violent windstorm against you, and you will find no one to help you? Or have you become fearless that He may take you back to sea and send against you a furious gale that drowns you because of your disobedience, after which you will find no helper against Us?” — (Surah Bani Isra’il: 67–69)

These verses completely shatter human pride and arrogance. They draw his attention and say: Look carefully at your true nature. A drop of impure and insignificant fluid enters the mother’s womb and, through various stages of impurity, develops into a lump of flesh. If Allah so wills, He may not give that lump life at all, and it may emerge in that incomplete state. By His own power, Allah gives life to that lump of flesh, creates within it feeling and consciousness, and equips it with the strength and faculties necessary for human life in this world. Thus you enter the world. Yet your initial condition is such that you arrive as a helpless infant, with no ability to fulfill even your own needs. Allah, by His own power, arranges matters so that you are nurtured, continue to grow, enter youth, and become strong and powerful; then your strength and capacity begin to decline again, and you pass from youth into old age, until eventually a helpless condition like that of childhood overtakes you. Your power of consciousness abandons you; your strength and abilities weaken; your knowledge and intellect disappear; and at last the lamp of your life is extinguished forever. Leaving behind wealth, children, friends, and relatives, you must take refuge in the grave. During this brief lifetime, you are unable to keep yourself alive even for a single moment. Rather, a power higher than you keeps you alive, and when it wills, compels you to leave this world. Moreover, as long as you remain alive, you must cling to the laws of nature. This air, this water, this light, this heat, the produce of this earth, and all these natural provisions upon which your life depends—none of them is under your control. You neither create them, nor do they obey your commands. When these very things turn against you, you become utterly helpless in confronting them. A violent windstorm destroys your settlements. A flood and tempest drown you. An earthquake reduces you to dust. No matter how heavily armed you may be, no matter how many means you devise through your own knowledge and intellect—which you did not create yourself—and no matter how many resources you gather through your own conscience—which you did not acquire yourself—all of these become useless before the forces of nature. Yet with such power you boast, become exultant with joy, show no regard for anyone, display the height of Pharaoh-like and Nimrod-like arrogance, become a ruthless tyrant, an unbounded oppressor, or an extreme egotist, rebel against Allah, set yourself up as the deity (ma‘bud) of Allah’s servants, and create turmoil and corruption in Allah’s world.

Man’s Status in the Universe and Nature:

So much for removing arrogance. On the other hand, Islam has told man that he is not as insignificant as he has considered himself to be. Thus He says: ( **************)

“We have indeed honored the children of Adam, provided them with means of transport on land and sea, and given them clear superiority over many of those We have created.” — (Surah Bani Isra’il: 70)

(****************)

“O man! Do you not see that Allah has subjected to you whatever is on the earth?” — (Surah al-Hajj: 65)

( ****************)

(***********)

“And He has created livestock, in which there is clothing and other useful things for you against the cold, and from which some you eat. In them there is beauty for you when you drive them out in the morning and bring them back in the evening. They carry your burdens to places that you could not reach without exhausting hardship. Surely your Lord is Most Kind and Most Merciful. He has created horses, mules, and donkeys for you to ride and as adornments of life. Allah creates many other things of which you have no knowledge. He is the One who sends down water from the sky: some of it is for you to drink, and some serves to nourish the trees and plants from which you obtain food for your livestock. From this water Allah produces for you crops, olives, dates, grapes, and all kinds of fruit. In these things there is a sign for those who reflect. He has subjected the night and the day, and the sun and the moon, to you. And the stars too are subjected by His command. In this there are signs for those who use their understanding. And He has created for you on earth things of various colours; in this there is a great sign for those who take heed. And He is the One who has subjected the sea, so that you may eat fresh meat from it and bring forth ornaments, such as pearls, which you wear. And you see the ships sailing through the sea, cleaving the water. Thus the sea has been subjected so that you may seek Allah’s bounty—that is, engage in trade—and perhaps you will give thanks. He has placed mountains on the earth so that it would not shake with you, and rivers and roads so that you may find your way to your destinations. He has made many other signs as well; even by the stars people find their way. And if you were to count Allah’s blessings, you would find them beyond number.”

—(Surah An-Nahl: 5–18)

The above verses tell people that everything in the world has been subjected for their service and benefit, and the same applies equally to the things in the heavens. These trees and plants, these rivers, these seas, these mountains, these animals, this night and day, this light and darkness, this sun and moon, these stars—in short, everything you see is your servant, appointed for your benefit and created to be useful to you. You have been given superiority over them; you have been granted greater honour than they have, and you have been made capable of serving them. Then why do you bow your head before those servants of yours? Why do you regard them as fulfiller of your needs? Why do you stretch out your hands in supplication before them? Why do you seek help from them? Why do you fear and dread them? Why do you proclaim their superiority and glory? By doing so, you are yourself disgracing and humiliating yourself and diminishing your own dignity; you are turning yourself into the servant of your own servants and the slave of your own slaves!”

Man as Allah’s Representative

From this it became clear that man is neither as exalted as he considers himself to be out of arrogance, nor as lowly and despicable as he has made himself. Now the question arises: what is man’s true status in the world? In answer, Islam says: (******************)

“And when your Lord said to the angels, ‘I am going to appoint a representative on earth,’ they said, ‘Will You appoint there one who will cause corruption and shed blood, while we declare Your glory and proclaim Your holiness?’ Allah said, ‘I know what you do not know.’ And He taught Adam the names of all things. Then He presented him before the angels and said, ‘Tell Me the names of these things, if you are truthful.’ They said, ‘Glory be to You! We have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Surely You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.’ Allah said, ‘O Adam, tell them the names of these things.’ So when Adam told them the names of those things, Allah said, ‘Did I not tell you that I know the unseen of the heavens and the earth, and I know all that you reveal and all that you conceal?’ And when I commanded the angels, ‘Prostrate before Adam,’ they all prostrated except Iblis. He refused, showed arrogance, and became one of the disobedient. And We said to Adam, ‘O Adam, dwell with your wife in Paradise and eat freely from whatever you find there, but do not approach that tree, lest you become among the wrongdoers.’ But Satan caused them both to stumble and expelled them from the state of bliss in which they had been.” (Surah Al-Baqarah: 30–36)

“…………………Arabic text……………”

“And when your Lord said to the angels, ‘I am going to create a human being from dry, discoloured clay. Then, when I have fashioned him properly and breathed into him something of My spirit, fall down in prostration before him.’ So all the angels prostrated, except Iblis; he refused to be among those who prostrated. Allah said, ‘O Iblis! What is the matter with you that you refuse to be among those who prostrate?’ Iblis said, ‘I am not one to prostrate before this human being whom You have created from black, discoloured, dry clay.’ Allah said, ‘Get out of here; you are accursed. And upon you is the curse until the Day of Recompense.’” (Surah Al-Hijr: 28–35)

This matter has been described in various ways at various places in the Holy Qur’an. Its brief summary is this: Allah created human beings as His representatives (na’ibs) on earth, gave them greater knowledge than the angels, placed their knowledge above the angels’ recitation of tasbih and declarations of holiness, and commanded the angels to prostrate before His representative. The angels prostrated before him, and thus all the angels bowed down before him; but Iblis refused, and in this way the satanic forces did not bow before him. At that time, of course, he was still merely an insignificant clay figure; but Allah breathed the ruh into him and granted him knowledge, thereby making him worthy of representing Allah. The angels acknowledged his superiority and bowed down before him. But Satan did not acknowledge him. For this offense, Satan was cursed. Yet he obtained respite until the Day of Judgment so that he could mislead human beings. Thus he misled humanity, caused it to be expelled from Paradise, and from then onward the conflict between human beings and Satan began. Allah said to humanity: “If you follow the guidance I send you, you will be able to enter Paradise; but if you obey the commands of your primordial enemy, Satan, your abode will be Hell.”

The Importance of the Office of Representation:

The following points have become clear from this discussion:

The dignity of human beings in this world lies in their being Allah’s khalifahs. Khalifah means a na’ib or representative. The duty of a representative is to obey the One whom he represents. He may neither obey anyone else nor turn his master’s subjects, servants, attendants, and slaves into his own subjects, servants, attendants, and slaves. If he does so, he will be accused of rebellion and will be punished in both cases. Wherever he has been appointed as a representative, he may use his master’s property, govern His subjects, receive service from them, and supervise them—but not on the assumption that he himself is the master, nor on the assumption that he is subordinate to anyone other than that master. Rather, he does so as his master’s representative, appointed by Him as the trustee over everything under his authority. Therefore, he can be a sincere, approved, and reward-worthy representative only when he does not betray his master’s trust, follows the guidance given by Him, and does not violate His laws. In governing His wealth and property, His subjects, servants, attendants, and slaves; receiving service from them; dealing with them; and supervising them, he must follow the laws laid down by Him. If he does not do so, he will not be a representative but a rebel; not approved but rejected; not worthy of reward but deserving of punishment. Allah says:

“…………………Arabic text……………”

“Those who follow the guidance I have given them shall have no fear of punishment, nor shall they grieve. But those who disobey and seek to declare My words and signs false shall have the Fire of Hell; they shall remain there forever.” (Surah al-Baqarah: 38–39)

A representative or trustee is never so independent that he may do whatever he wishes according to his own will; that he may do whatever he likes with his master’s wealth and subjects, with no one to question him about these matters. Rather, he must answer before his master and give an account of every single transaction. His master may question him about each of his actions, hold him responsible for whatever he has done with His trust, property, and subjects, and reward or punish him accordingly.

The foremost duty of a representative is to accept the authority, rule, and supreme power of the One whom he represents. If he is not prepared to do this, he will neither understand the importance of his office as a representative, nor form a sound conception of his appointment as a trustee; neither will he develop any sense of his accountability and answerability, nor acquire the ability to properly fulfill his responsibilities and duties concerning the trust placed in his care. It is utterly impossible for a person to adopt one code of conduct on the basis of this concept of trusteeship and representation, and then follow the same code on the basis of some other concept. Even if the impossible were assumed to be possible for him, it would still have no value, because by rejecting obedience to his master he had already become a rebel. If, while obeying his own desires and impulses or someone else, he nevertheless performs good deeds, then he should seek his reward from the one whom he obeyed. To his master, those good deeds are completely meaningless.

In terms of his essential nature, man is merely an insignificant creature. Whatever honor he has attained is solely because the spirit was breathed into him and he was granted representation of Allah on earth. The preservation of this honor now depends on his not corrupting his spirit by obeying Satan and not falling from the dignity of representation to the level of rebellion. If he neglects this responsibility, he will remain merely that insignificant creature.

The angelic forces (the forces of the unseen world) have acknowledged man’s representation of Allah and bowed before him as Allah’s representative; but the satanic forces do not acknowledge his representation. Rather, they seek to make him subservient to themselves. If man fulfills the duty of representation in this world and follows the path shown by Allah, the angelic forces will assist him. Armies of angels will descend for him. The angelic world will never turn away from him. With the help of all these forces, he will defeat Satan and his followers. But if he hesitates to fulfill the rights of representation and does not follow the path shown by Allah, the angelic forces will withdraw from his company, for as a result he himself will fall from the dignity of his representation. And when no other force remains to assist him and he becomes nothing more than a clay puppet, the satanic forces will gain ascendancy over him. Thereafter, Satan and his followers will be his only supporters and helpers; he will obey their laws and regulations, and his fate will be like theirs.

Because he is Allah’s representative, man’s status is higher and nobler than that of all things in the world. Every thing in the world is subject to him, placed at his service, and he has the right to derive benefit from it in the manner prescribed by Allah. It is utterly degrading for him to bow before any of these subjugated things. If he bows before them, he wrongs himself and falls from the dignity of Allah’s representation. Yet there is one Being before whom bowing and whose obedience are his indispensable duty (fard), and within whose prostration lies honor and dignity for him. Who is that Being? Allah is his Master—the One who appointed man as His representative.

No particular individual or class of the human race is Allah’s representative; rather, the entire human race has been invested with the dignity of representation, and as representatives or caliphs, all human beings are equal to one another. Therefore, no person should bow before another, nor is anyone entitled to make another person bow before him. One person may demand of another only obedience to the Master’s command and His guidance. In this respect, the obedient person will be the ‘amir’ (commander), and the disobedient person will be the ‘ma’mur’ (one commanded). For the person who fulfills the rights of representation is superior to the one who fails to fulfill them. But superiority does not mean that he himself is the master.

Every person has individually received the trust and the dignity of representation. Therefore, each individual will be questioned, in his own place, about the responsibilities of this position. The deeds of others will not be made another person’s responsibility, nor will anyone be able to benefit from another’s deeds. Likewise, no one can free another from this responsibility, nor will the burden of anyone’s wrongdoing be placed upon someone else’s shoulders.

Man remains a representative for as long as he lives in this world and as long as the relationship between the clay puppet (the human body) and the spirit breathed into it by Allah continues. As soon as this relationship is severed, he falls from the dignity of vicegerency on earth. His deeds during the period of his representation should be examined and reviewed; the trust placed upon him should be accounted for; and it should be investigated how he fulfilled the responsibility entrusted to him as a representative. If he has displayed treachery, betrayal of trust, disobedience, rebellion, and irresponsibility, he should be punished. Conversely, if he has performed his duty with honesty, faithfulness, a sense of responsibility, and obedience, he should also receive his reward.

Islam’s Concept of Life

The two words ‘vicegerency’ and ‘representation’ mentioned above also point to another important matter. The representative’s true duty is to strive to fulfill fully the rights of representation over his Lord’s possessions and, as far as possible, to use and manage them in the same way as the true Owner does. If a king appoints someone as a representative (deputy) over his subjects, the best way for that person to exercise the authority of representation would be to adopt precisely the role the king himself adopts in caring for his subjects, showing affection and compassion, ensuring their security, administering justice, and, where necessary, applying strictness. He should likewise use and manage the king’s possessions, property, and wealth with the same intelligence (hikmah), wisdom, prudence, and caution.

Thus, the significance of calling man Allah’s caliph-representative is that he can fully discharge the responsibility of representing Allah and of the caliphate only when the principle he follows in dealing with Allah’s creation is itself like that of Allah. In other words, just as Allah cares for and nurtures His creation with a greatness befitting a Sustainer, so man, within his limited sphere of activity, will preserve and nurture the things Allah has placed under his control with a similar greatness. Likewise, just as Allah uses His wealth with merciful greatness, maintains order among His creation with justice and impartiality, and manifests the attributes of His ‘Jabr’ and ‘Qahr’ (that is, attributes indicative of mercilessness) with a certain kind of mercy and compassion, so man will deal, though to a lesser degree, in the same manner with Allah’s creation over which he has been given authority and which has been placed under his control.

This very significance is embodied in the wise saying of ******. But man can attain this elevated moral status only when he properly realizes that in this world he is not an independent ruler, but merely the representative of the real Sovereign. This is the true responsibility of the office of representation. It defines the nature and extent of his relationship with every object in the world, including his own body and his physical and mental powers.

Everything that has been said so far in analyzing representation is elaborated in the Qur’an. Through it, every aspect of the relationship between the world and man becomes clear and illuminated.

Man Is a Representative, Not an Owner

The Qur’an says:

***********

“It is He who has made you representatives in the earth and raised some of you above others in rank, so that He may test you through what He has given you.” — (Surah al-An‘am: 165)

قَالُوا أُوذِينَا مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَأْتِيَنَا وَمِن بَعْدِ مَا جِئْتَنَا ۚ قَالَ عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُهْلِكَ عَدُوَّكُمْ وَيَسْتَخْلِفَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرَ كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ

“(Moses said to the Children of Israel): Very soon Allah will destroy your enemy and make you vicegerents on earth, so that He may see what you do.” — (Surah al-A’raf: 129)

***********

“O David, We have made you a vicegerent on earth; so judge between the people with truth and do not follow your own desire, for it will lead you astray from the path of Allah. Surely, those who stray from the path of Allah shall have a severe punishment because they have forgotten the Day of Reckoning.” — (Surah Sad: 26)

*******

“Is Allah not the greatest of all rulers?” — (Surah al-Tin: 8)

********

“Judgment belongs to none but Allah.” — (Surah al-An’am: 57)

*********

“Say, O Allah! Master of all kingdoms! You grant sovereignty to whom You will, and take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honor whom You will, and abase whom You will.”

**********

“Follow only what has been revealed to you from your Lord, and do not follow any patrons besides Him.” – (Surah Al-A’raf: 3)

**********

“Say, my prayer, my worship, my life and my death—all are for Allah, Lord of the worlds.” – (Surah Al-An’am: 162)

It is clearly evident from these verses that none of the things in this world over which human beings have use, control and authority belongs to them—not even ownership of their own selves. Allah is their true Owner, Ruler and Controller. Human beings have no right to use these things according to their own whims, as though they were their true owners. Their status in this world is merely that of a representative, and their authority is limited to following the path prescribed by Allah and using these things in the manner He has shown. To exceed these prescribed limits, follow one’s own desires, or obey the command of any ruler other than the true Ruler is nothing but rebellion and misguidance.

The Primary Condition for Success in the Life of This World:

The Qur’an says:

*************

“Those who have believed in falsehood and disbelieved in Allah are indeed among the losers.” — (Surah Al-Ankabut: 52)

********

“Whoever among you turns back from his religion (that is, obedience to Allah) and dies as a disbeliever, the deeds of such people become worthless in this world and the Hereafter.”

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“Whoever refuses to believe, all his deeds become worthless, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers.” — (Surah Al-Ma’idah: 5)

From these verses it became known that man’s success in worldly life as Allah’s representative depends on acknowledging his own Master’s sovereignty and authority, and performing all actions while considering himself His representative and trustee. Without this acknowledgment, whatever of Allah’s wealth and goods he consumes and uses will merely be rebellious consumption and use. It is common knowledge that even if a rebel seizes a country and presents an excellent example of serving it, the country’s true king will not recognize this “good deed” at all. In the eyes of the king, a rebel is a rebel. Whether the person’s character is good or bad, and whether he governs the country properly after rebelling or not, makes no difference.

The World Is Meant for Enjoyment and Use

It is stated in the Qur’an:

“O mankind! Eat from whatever lawful and pure things there are on earth, and do not obey Satan in anything; indeed, he is your manifest enemy. He commands you to commit evil, indecency, and to say about Allah that of which you have no knowledge.” — (Surah al-Baqarah: 168–169)

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“O you who believe! Do not declare unlawful for yourselves the pure things that Allah has made lawful for you, and do not transgress; indeed, Allah does not love the transgressors. And eat from the lawful and pure sustenance Allah has provided for you, and remain mindful of disobeying Allah, in whom you believe.” — (Surah al-Ma’idah: 87–88)

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“(O Prophet! Say, who is it that

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“(Our Prophet) commands them to do good deeds and restrains them from wrongdoing and sin, makes pure things lawful and impure things unlawful for them, and removes from them their burdens and shackles.”

– (Surah Al-A’raf: 157)

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“You should seek the bounty of your Lord (that is, livelihood through trade); there is no harm in it for you.”

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“The followers of the Messiah themselves invented monasticism, seeking only the pleasure of Allah; We did not prescribe it for them.”

– (Surah Al-Hadid: 27)

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“We have created many jinn and human beings for Hell. They have hearts, but they do not understand with them; they have eyes, but they do not see with them; they have ears, but they do not hear with them. They are like cattle—rather, even more astray. They are the ones immersed in heedlessness.”—(Surah Al-A’raf: 179)

These verses make it clear that abandoning the world is not the task of human beings. The world is not something that must be renounced, kept at a distance, and whose affairs, concerns, means of enjoyment, and beauty one must declare forbidden to oneself. This world has been created for human beings; therefore, their task is to enjoy and use it—indeed, to enjoy and use it abundantly. However, they must do so while observing the distinctions between good and evil, pure and impure, and appropriate and inappropriate. Allah has given them eyes with which to see. If a person does not use their bodily limbs, senses, and mental faculties, or uses them in the wrong way, then there is no difference whatsoever between that person and an animal.

The Mystery of Worldly Life:

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“Allah’s promise concerning the Hereafter is certainly true; so do not let the life of this world deceive you, nor let the Deceiver (Satan) deceive you concerning Allah.” —(Surah Fatir: 5)

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“Those who wronged themselves were left behind in the worldly pleasures that had been given to them; these were the criminals.” —(Surah Hud: 116)

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“Present to them the example of worldly life. It is like this: We sent down water from the sky, and as a result the earth became lush with crops. But ultimately those crops turned into dry chaff, scattered here and there by gusts of wind. Allah has power over everything. Wealth and children are merely the adornments of worldly life; but in the sight of your Lord, enduring good deeds are better, both in reward and as a hope for the future.”

-(Surah al-Kahf: 45–46)

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“O believers! Let neither your wealth nor your children make you heedless of the remembrance of Allah. Those who do so are truly the losers.” -(Surah al-Munafiqun: 9)

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“Your wealth and your children are not things that can bring you nearer to Us. Only those who believe and do righteous deeds are near to Us.”

“Know that the life of this world is merely play, amusement, outward glitter, your mutual boasting, and your striving to surpass one another in wealth and children. Its example is that of rain: the vegetation it produces delights the farmers. Then it ripens, and you see it turn yellow; finally, it becomes dry chaff.”

-(Surah al-Hadid: 20)

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“Are you building futile monuments on every high place and constructing grand buildings, perhaps thinking that you will remain here forever?”

—(Surah Ash-Shu‘ara: 128–129)

“Will you be left secure among these things here—these gardens, these springs, these cultivated fields, and these date-palms with their delicate sheaths? And you carve houses out of the mountains and exult.”

—(Surah Ash-Shu‘ara: 146–149)

“Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, even if you are in strongly fortified castles.”

—(Surah An-Nisa: 78)

“Everyone must taste death; then you will all be brought back to Us.” —(Surah Al-Ankabut: 57)

“Did you think that We created you in vain and that you would not be returned to Us?”

It was said earlier that the world was created for you; therefore, enjoy and use it in the best possible manner. Now the other aspect of the matter is being presented. It is being said that although the world is for you, you are not for the world. Nor was it created so that the world would use you and you would be absorbed into it. Never be deceived by the life of this world into thinking that you must remain here forever. Know very well that all these possessions, wealth, riches, glory, and belongings are temporary things. Everything is merely the deception of time. The end of all of it is destruction. Like you, every one of these things will be reduced to dust. In this temporary world, the only thing that can remain is a person’s righteousness: the righteousness of his heart and soul, and the righteousness of his deeds and conduct.

Responsibility and Accountability for One’s Deeds

It is then said:

“The Hour whose coming We intend to keep hidden will surely come, so that everyone may receive the recompense for his efforts.” —(Surah Ta-Ha: 15)

“Will you be recompensed for anything other than your deeds?” —(Surah An-Naml: 90)

“And man will have only that for which he has striven; his effort will soon be seen. Then he will be given his reward in full. And ultimately, everyone must reach your Lord.”

—(Surah An-Najm: 39–42)

“Whoever is blind in this world will be blind in the Hereafter as well, and will be farther astray from the right path.” —(Surah Bani Isra’il: 72)

“Whatever good deeds you send ahead for yourselves from this world, you will find exactly that with Allah. Whatever you do, Allah sees it all.”

—(Surah al-Baqarah: 110)

“Fear the day when you will be brought before Allah. Then every person will be repaid for what he has done, and they will never be wronged.” —(Surah al-Baqarah: 281)

“On that day, everyone will find present before him the good deeds he performed and the evil deeds he committed.” —(Surah Aal ‘Imran: 30)

“On that day, the weighing of all deeds will be the absolute truth. Those whose scales of deeds are heavy will be the ones who attain success, while those whose scales are light will be the ones who have brought loss upon themselves, because they were wronging Our verses.”

“Whoever does even an atom’s weight of good will see its reward, and whoever does even an atom’s weight of evil will see its reward.” —(Surah Az-Zalzalah: 7–8)

“Allah accepted their supplication and said, ‘I will never allow the deed of any worker among you to be lost, whether male or female.’” —(Surah Aal ‘Imran: 195)

“Spend from whatever We have given you before death comes to any of you. Then he will say, ‘My Lord, if only You would grant me a little more time, I would spend in Your way and become one of the righteous.’ But Allah will never grant further time to anyone once his appointed time has come.” —(Surah Al-Munafiqun: 10–11)

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“Alas!” If only you could see the time when the guilty one will stand before his Lord with bowed head and say: O our Sustainer! Now we have seen and heard; send us back, and we will do good deeds; now we have become convinced. But it will be said: Now taste the consequence of the heedlessness because of which you had forgotten that you would be brought before Us on this day. Today We too have forgotten you. Therefore, in return for the deeds you used to perform, taste today the everlasting punishment.” —(Surah As-Sajdah: 12–14

It has been stated here that this world is the field of action, the place for striving and endeavor. The life of the Hereafter, on the other hand, is the field where recompense is received—the place where the results of good and evil and the reward for one’s deeds are obtained. A person has the opportunity to work in this world until the time of his death. After that, he will never again have the opportunity to act. Therefore, in this life, he must act while remembering that every one of my actions, every behavior of mine, and every good or bad deed has its own effect and significance; and in accordance with that effect and significance, I will receive a good or bad result in the life of the Hereafter. Whatever I receive, I will receive as the outcome of my efforts, endeavors, and present actions in this life; none of my good deeds will be destroyed, nor will any sin be left unaccounted for.

Personal Responsibility

To strengthen this sense of responsibility further, it has also been made clear that every individual is responsible for his own actions. No one else shares this responsibility, nor can anyone save another from the consequences of his actions.

(Arabic**********) “You are responsible for your own selves. If you are rightly guided, no one who has gone astray can harm you.” —(Surah Al-Ma’idah: 105)

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“Whatever each person earns, its burden rests upon him; no one bears the burden of another.” —(Surah Al-An’am: 164)

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“On the Day of Resurrection, your relatives and your children will be of no avail to you whatsoever. On that day, Allah will judge between you, and He observes your deeds.” — (Surah Al-Mumtahanah: 3)

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“If you do righteous deeds, you do so for your own benefit; and if you commit evil deeds, that too is against yourselves.” — (Surah Bani Isra’il: 7)

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“No person shall bear the burden of another’s sin; and if someone heavily burdened with sin calls upon another to help him, none of his burden will be borne by that person—even if he is a close relative.” — (Surah Al-Fatir: 18)

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“O mankind! Fear your Lord and fear a day when no father will be of any avail to his son, nor will a son be of any avail to his father in the slightest.” — (Surah Luqman: 33)

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“Whoever has disbelieved bears the burden of his disbelief, and those who do righteous deeds are preparing the way for their own welfare.” —(Surah Ar-Rum: 44)

Here, each person individually has been entrusted with responsibility for his good and evil deeds. There is no room here for hoping that someone will atone for our faults and negligence, nor is there any scope for expecting that we will be released from responsibility for our offenses because of anyone’s kinship or relationship with us. Nor is there any basis for fearing that someone else’s evil deeds will affect our good deeds, or that anyone’s satisfaction besides Allah’s can influence the acceptance or rejection of our actions. If someone puts his hand into a fire, nothing can protect him from its natural burning. Likewise, if someone drinks honey, nothing can prevent him from experiencing its sweet taste. No one can share another’s pain from being burned, nor can anyone deprive another of tasting sweetness. Similarly, with regard to the evil consequences of sin and the good results of righteous deeds, every person is alone and independent of others. Therefore, it is essential for every person to have a full sense of responsibility in using and enjoying the world. Turning his gaze away from the world and the things within it, he should live with the understanding that he himself is responsible for each of his actions; the burden of sin rests on him alone, and he alone will enjoy the benefits of righteous deeds.

The explanation of the Islamic concept of earthly life given above has shed light on its various parts and elements. Now let us examine its structure and arrangement, and also consider how far the complete concept formed by combining its scattered parts accords with nature and reality, what status it may hold in comparison with other cultures’ concepts of earthly life, and how the culture founded on this philosophy of life molds human thought and action into a particular pattern.

The Natural Concept of Life

The Natural Concept of Life For a while, remove from your mind the concepts that other religions have presented regarding the world and worldly life. Then, as a perceptive observer, look at the world around you and attentively consider what your position is within this entire environment. As a result of this observation, several things will become exceedingly clear to you.

You will see that the range of all the powers you possess is extremely limited. The sensory powers upon which your knowledge depends cannot extend beyond the limits of your immediate surroundings. The limbs and organs upon which all your activities depend can control only a few things. The countless things around you are far greater than your body and strength, and in comparison with them your individual self appears extremely insignificant and weak. None of the tremendous forces active in this vast factory of the world is under your control; rather, in the face of those forces, you consider yourself utterly helpless. Physically, you are an average creature. You prevail over things smaller than yourself, but you are defeated by things larger than yourself.

But another power within you has given you superiority over all those things. By virtue of that power, you exercise dominion over all creatures of your own kind and bring them under your authority, even though their physical strength is far greater than yours. It is because of that power that you use and enjoy the things around you and obtain service from them according to your wishes. By virtue of that power, you discover new sources of energy, extract them, and use them in new ways. It is because of that power that you expand the means and resources for acquiring knowledge and reach even those things that lie beyond the scope of your natural powers. In short, by virtue of that special power, all the things in the world become your servants, and you attain the fortune of receiving their service.

Again, all the higher forces of the world-machine that are beyond your control are also operating in such a manner that, generally speaking, they cannot be called your enemies or opponents; rather, they are your supporters and conducive to your welfare and advantages. Air, water, light, heat, and all the other forces on which your life depends are operating under a particular system whose purpose is to assist you. In this sense, you may say that these things mentioned above are obedient to you.

When you look deeply at this entire environment, you see a mighty law in operation. From the tiniest objects to the greatest of all, everything is equally bound within the grip of this powerful law. The stability of the entire universe depends wholly upon its order and control. You yourself are also subject to this law. But there is a tremendous difference between you and the other things in the world. The other things do not possess even the slightest capacity to disobey this law. But you do possess the capacity to disobey it. Not only that, when you wish to disobey it, it even assists you in doing so. Of course, every such act immediately leaves some reaction, and after disobeying it, you too cannot escape its evil consequences.

Under this universal and immutable law, you see various scenes of creation and destruction. Throughout the universe, an endless process of breaking down and building up continues. By the same law according to which something is created and nurtured, it is also destroyed and annihilated. Nothing in the world is free from the bonds of this law. Even those things that apparently seem free from it, and which appear to be stationary and immovable, reveal, upon close examination, that processes of rotation and change continue within them as well, and that they too have no escape from the grip of creation and destruction. Since the other things in nature are not conscious and endowed with understanding—or at least we have no knowledge of this in their case—we do not perceive in them any signs of joy or sorrow as a result of this creation and destruction. But because human beings are conscious and rational creatures, they experience an intense reaction of joy and sorrow when they observe these changes around them. At times, seeing the manifestation of favorable things, they feel such intense joy that they forget that destruction is also possible in this world. At other times, seeing unfavorable things, their sorrow becomes so intense that they see nothing but destruction and destruction in this world, and forget the truth that creation is still possible.

But whatever mutually opposed feelings of joy and sorrow you may have within you, and no matter how rigid or excessive an attitude toward worldly life you may adopt under their influence, by your very nature you are compelled to make practical use of this world and to employ the forces within you. Your nature contains a desire to survive, and to fulfill this desire, a powerful force called hunger has been placed within you, continually urging you to work. Nature wishes to engage you in preserving your lineage; for this reason, it has infused you with an irresistible force called sexual consciousness, which impels you to fulfill its purpose. Likewise, several other forces have been gathered within your nature for other purposes, and each of these forces strives to achieve its own objective through you. Whether you fulfill these diverse purposes of nature excellently or poorly, and whether you carry them out willingly or under compulsion, depends entirely on your knowledge and judgment. Not only that, nature itself has granted you a special capacity to carry out or not carry out the task of fulfilling those purposes. At the same time, however, nature has also ordained that fulfilling its purposes willingly and properly is beneficial for you, while turning away from fulfilling them—or fulfilling them poorly—is harmful to you yourself.

Concepts of Various Religions and Ideologies:

When a person of sound nature and far-sightedness looks at the world and

observes his own condition in this context, each of the matters described above will appear before his eyes. But the various groups among humankind have viewed this entire scene from different angles, and it has often happened that they formed a doctrine about their worldly life according to whichever aspect appeared most prominent to them, without even attempting to look at the other aspects.

For example, one group, observing human weakness and helplessness, and in contrast the influence and power of the great forces of nature, concluded that human beings in this world are utterly insignificant, and that these beneficial and harmful forces of the world are not subject to any universal law but are independent or semi-independent. This idea so dominated their minds that the rest of the picture disappeared from their view. They forgot the brighter side of their own existence and, through an exaggerated acknowledgment of their own weakness and incapacity, sacrificed their sense of honor and dignity. The worship of idols, trees, stars, and other natural forces is the direct result of this doctrine.

Another group saw the world as nothing but a playground of calamity. The entire universe was being run solely so that human beings might suffer hardship and oppression. All the relationships and connections in the world were merely traps designed to entangle people in the net of unrest and danger. Why speak only of human beings? The whole universe was bound in the grip of sorrow and destruction. Everything created here was created only to be destroyed. Spring comes so that winter may arrive and strip it of its verdure. The tree of life becomes adorned with foliage so that the Satan of death may come and plunder its beauty. The beauty of stability arrives in such perfect form so that the deity of destruction may have ample opportunity to play with it. This doctrine left these people with no attraction whatsoever to the world or to life within it. They saw the path to liberation in renouncing the world, mortifying themselves, and practising asceticism in order to extinguish all their inner feelings, and in breaking the law of nature that had reduced human beings to instruments merely for operating its own workshop.

Another group observed that the world contained abundant means of pleasure and luxury for human beings, and that people had the opportunity to savour them for a short time. The feeling of sorrow and grief makes this enjoyment tasteless; therefore, if people could extinguish that feeling and allow nothing to become a cause of sorrow and grief for them, only pleasure and merriment would be found here. Everything that exists for human beings exists in this world; whatever enjoyment they have must be seized in this earthly life. After death, neither human beings nor the world or its pleasures will remain; everything will sink into the depths of oblivion.

In complete opposition to them is another group that regards the pleasures and delights of the world—even worldly life as a whole—as entirely sinful. In their view, the material resources of the world are a form of impurity and uncleanness for the human soul. There is no purity or benefit for human beings in enjoying and using this world, participating in its affairs, or savouring its pleasures and delights. Whoever wishes to attain felicity through the heavenly kingdom should remain distant from the world. And whoever wishes to enjoy the wealth, dominion, and pleasures of worldly life should know with certainty that there is no place for him in the heavenly kingdom. This group also perceived that human beings are compelled by the demands of their own nature and disposition to enjoy and use the world and engage in its affairs. However attractive the prospect of entering the heavenly kingdom may be, it can never be powerful enough for people to rely on it to overcome their own nature. Thus they discovered a shortcut to reaching the heavenly kingdom: those who believe in a particular being will have their responsibility for their deeds removed through his atonement.

Another group, observing the vast scope of the laws of nature, came to regard human beings as nothing more than incapable and weak creatures. They saw that human beings are not independent and unique beings at all; the evidence of psychology, physiology, biology, and the laws of heredity had established this truth. The laws of nature have bound them hand and foot. They can neither think anything contrary to these laws, nor desire anything, nor perform any action outside them. Therefore, they bear no responsibility for any of their actions.

According to yet another group, in complete opposition to this, human beings are not merely beings endowed with willpower; they are also subject or subordinate to no higher will, nor are they obliged to answer to anyone for their deeds except their own conscience or the laws of human society. They are the masters of this world. Everything in the world is subject to them. They have the authority to enjoy and use these things freely. To shape their lives well and maintain sound order and discipline in their own actions and conduct, they have imposed rules and restrictions upon themselves in their personal lives. But in the broadest sense they are completely free, and the idea that they must answer to any higher being in this matter is entirely irrelevant.

These are the various forms of belief held by different religions and ideologies concerning worldly life. The edifices of various cultures have been built upon most of these beliefs. The true reason that the different kinds and natures we observe in the edifices of various cultures have assumed their distinctive and separate forms is that they are founded upon a particular conception of worldly life. It is this conception that demands the adoption of that distinctive form. If we examined each of these beliefs in detail and investigated how it gave birth to a particular kind of culture, it would undoubtedly make an engaging discussion. But such a discussion has no connection with our subject, for we wish only to present clearly the distinctive features of Islamic culture. Our point is that all the conceptions of life described above are merely the result of viewing the world from one particular angle or another. None of these doctrines was formed by taking a comprehensive view of the entire universe and then determining the proper place of everything in this world. That is why, when we abandon one particular perspective and examine the world from another, the doctrine built upon the former perspective appears invalid and erroneous. And when we view the world as a whole, the error of all these doctrines becomes evident.

Distinctive Features of the Islamic Conception:

It can now be understood very clearly that, in reality, among all doctrines, the Islamic doctrine alone is in harmony with nature and objective truth. It alone establishes a correct relationship between the world and human beings. Within it we find that the world is neither something detestable or to be rejected, nor is it something that people should become attached to and lose themselves in its pleasures. Here, neither a process of construction is proceeding in its entirety, nor is there one-sided destruction. Just as it is not right to shun the world, it is equally inappropriate to become completely immersed in it. It is neither entirely filthy and impure, nor is every part of it pure and free from impurity. The relationship of human beings with this world is not like that of a king with his own kingdom. Nor is it like the relationship between a prisoner and a prison. Human beings are not so insignificant that every force in the world is worthy of their prostration; nor are they so powerful and mighty that they will receive prostration from every thing in the world. They are neither so incapable and helpless that their personal wishes and intentions have no value, nor so powerful that their desires and impulses stand above everything else. They are neither the absolute sovereigns of the universe, nor helpless slaves to countless masters. Their true position lies midway between these extreme positions.

Thus far, nature and sound reason guide us. But Islam goes further and precisely defines what man’s true dignity is. It tells us: What kind of relationship exists between man and the world? With what understanding should man use and enjoy the world? It opens man’s eyes by telling him that he is not like the other creatures. Rather, you are Allah Rabb al-‘Alamin’s responsible representative (Viceroy) on earth. The world and its forces have been placed under your control. You are the ruler of all, but ruled by One; obedient to everyone, but submissive to One alone. You possess honor above all creation, but you can be worthy of this honor only when you submit to and obey the One who, having invested you with the dignity of representation, granted you this honor on earth, and when you follow the laws and commandments He has given you. You have been sent into the world so that you may use and enjoy it. Then, whatever good or evil, pure or impure deeds you perform in this worldly life, you will see their consequences in the life of the Hereafter. Therefore, during this fleeting life in the world, you should always remain conscious of personal responsibility and accountability, and you should never for a moment forget that every single thing Allah Rabb al-‘Alamin has entrusted to you as His representative will be subjected to a thorough reckoning.

There is no doubt that this concept is not fully and comprehensively alive in the mind of every Muslim. Indeed, apart from a particular section of the educated community, no one else even holds a clear understanding of it. But since this concept is embedded in the very core of Islamic culture, Muslims have still not become entirely free of its influence, even though their character has moved far away from its true dignity and essential characteristics. However degraded the conduct and actions of a Muslim raised within Islamic culture may have become under external influence, these things will inevitably have entered every vein of his being: a sense of self-respect and dignity; bowing before no one but Allah; fearing no one but Allah; regarding no one besides Allah as owner and master; considering himself personally responsible in the world; believing that the world is the field of action and the Hereafter the field of recompense; believing that success or failure in the Hereafter depends solely on the excellence or deficiency of one’s personal deeds; and regarding the world, its wealth, and its means of enjoyment as temporary, while considering only personal deeds and their results everlasting. And a perceptive person will inevitably sense, in his words and activities, the influence—however faint—of those firmly rooted beliefs and convictions embedded deep in his soul and heart.

Anyone who examines the history of Islamic culture will clearly realize this truth: as long as genuine Islam existed within it in its complete sense, it was a genuinely practical culture. To its followers, the world was the field of the Hereafter. They tried to spend every moment of their worldly life cultivating and sowing seeds in this field, so that they might reap a greater harvest in the life of the Hereafter. They used and enjoyed the world in such a balanced state between asceticism and materialism that we cannot find even the slightest trace of its equivalent in any other culture. The concept of Allah’s caliphate inspired them to become fully involved in worldly life and to conduct its affairs with complete vigor; at the same time, a sense of responsibility and accountability never allowed them to overstep the bounds. As Allah’s representatives, they possessed a strong sense of self-respect. Yet this very concept also restrained them from becoming arrogant and proud. They were attached to every worldly thing necessary for properly fulfilling the responsibilities of the caliphate. At the same time, they had no attachment to those things that immerse a person in worldly luxury and make him forget his responsibilities and duties. In short, they conducted the affairs of the world as though they would not remain here forever, while refraining from becoming absorbed in its luxuries because they regarded this world as a wayside inn, where they had settled only for a few temporary days.

Later, as Islam’s influence declined and Muslims came under the influence of other cultures, the complete Islamic characteristics no longer remained in their character. As a result, they did everything contrary to the Islamic conception of worldly life. They became immersed in luxury and indulgence. They constructed enormous buildings. They became attracted to music, painting, sculpture, and the fine arts. In their social life and customs, they grew accustomed to extravagance and ostentation, wholly contrary to Islamic taste. In state administration, politics, and other worldly affairs, they followed entirely un-Islamic methods. Nevertheless, the Islamic conception of worldly life that had taken root in their hearts still manifested its clear influence somewhere or other. And it was this influence that gave them a special standing in comparison with others. A certain Muslim king constructed a huge building on the banks of the Yamuna and filled it with arrangements for amusement, pleasure, and splendor that were unimaginable in those days. Yet on the rear side of the building’s most delightful entertainment center—that is, on the side facing the qiblah—these verses were engraved:

“Your feet are shackled, your heart locked,

your eyes scorched by fire and your feet wounded by thorns;

you wish to travel west,

yet you are heading eastward,

Leaving the destination behind, who are you proceeding onward?

Be alert even now.”

That palace was not unparalleled in its distinctive features. Palaces more magnificent than it can be found among other nations of the world. But no other nation in the world offers an example of such a way of thinking—warning those who built paradise upon earth: ‘Leaving the destination behind, who are you proceeding toward the uncertain? Be alert.’¹

1. This refers to Delhi’s Red Fort.

In Islamic history, there are countless examples of rulers who governed empires like those of Caesar and Kisra prostrating themselves before Almighty Allah instead of displaying the arrogance of power by defeating an enemy. When great tyrannical and arrogant rulers wished to oppose Islamic Shariah, some servant of Allah would rebuke them to their faces, causing them to tremble with fear of Allah. Even outright criminals and immoral people would become conscious upon hearing some ordinary remark, and the character of their lives would immediately change. When thoughts of the transience of this world and of being questioned in the Hereafter awakened in those enamored of worldly wealth and riches, they at once distributed everything among the servants of Allah and adopted an exemplary, moderate way of life. In short, no matter how many un-Islamic influences spread through the lives of Muslims, the radiance of Islamic teachings will invariably become visible in one form or another in every aspect of their national life. And seeing this, you will feel as though light has suddenly appeared amid darkness.

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The Goal of Life

After the philosophy of life, the second question of particular importance in determining the excellence or decline of a culture is this: What objective does it place before people? This question is important because all the desires and practical efforts of a person who determines an object as his goal and purpose follow that goal. The soundness or corruption of his mentality and the purity or corruption of his way of life depend on the purity or impurity of that goal. The advancement or decline of his thought and outlook, the excellence or deterioration of his moral character, and the progress or decline of his economy and social life all depend on the goal’s advancement or decline. The coherence or dispersal of people’s desires and thoughts, the order or disorder of all their activities, and the concentration or dispersal of their strength, abilities, and talents all depend on its being clear and precise. In a word, it is by virtue of this goal of life that a person selects one path from among the various paths of thought and action and directs his physical and mental powers, as well as his material and spiritual means and resources, along that path. Therefore, in order to assess any culture by an infallible standard, it is absolutely essential for us to investigate its fundamental objective.

Essential characteristic of a sound collective objective:

Before proceeding further with discussion and inquiry, we should first determine what is meant by the aim of a culture. It is clear that when we utter the word ‘culture,’ we do not mean our individual culture, but rather our collective culture. For this reason, the aim of every individual’s life cannot be the objective of a culture. Conversely, whatever is the objective of a culture must necessarily be the aim of the personal life of each of its followers, whether or not they are conscious of it. From this perspective, whether consciously or unconsciously, whatever is the aim of the collective life of a large group of people is the objective of a culture; and this objective must gain such precedence over the individual life aims of its members that each person must accept the group’s life aim as the aim of his own life.

An indispensable condition for such a collective life aim is that it must be fully compatible and harmonious with people’s individual life aims and possess the capacity to serve simultaneously as both an individual and a collective life aim. For if a collective life aim is contrary to people’s individual life aims, it will first of all be difficult for it to become a collective life aim. For an idea that people do not personally accept can never attain the status of a collective idea. Even if, under the influence of a powerful enemy, it does become a collective life aim, an unconscious conflict will continue between the individual’s life aim and society’s life aim. Then, as soon as the influence of that victorious power diminishes, people will turn toward their own respective life aims. Along with this, society’s life aim will disappear. The attraction and cohesive power of the social entity will vanish, and ultimately even the name and traces of the culture will be erased. Therefore, what a human being’s natural life aim is can, in reality, be precisely the sound objective of a culture. The true characteristic of any culture is that it must present such a collective life aim as can also be exactly an individual life aim.

From this perspective, two questions arise before us, and we cannot proceed without resolving them:

First: What is the natural life aim of a human being?

Second: To what extent are the objectives presented by the other cultures of the world compatible with this natural life aim of the human being?

The Natural Life Aim of the Human Being

The question of the natural life aim of the human being is this: What does a person naturally strive for in the world, and what does his nature desire? If, to learn this, you ask each person what his purpose in the world is, you will receive different answers from different people. And you will probably not find even two people whose aims, desires, hopes, and aspirations are completely identical. But if you analyze all the answers, you will see that the things people call their aims are not actually objectives at all, but merely means of reaching a particular objective; and that particular objective is comfort and peace of mind. No matter how highly thoughtful and intellectually gifted a person may be, how refined his culture may be, or in whatever sphere or department of life he may work, at the root of all his striving and endeavor lies a single objective: that he may attain peace, security, joy, and contentment. Thus, we may call this the natural life aim of the individual human being.

Two Popular Collective Goals and Their Evaluation

A thorough examination of the collective goals put forward by the various cultures of the world will show that there are many differences among them. Determining them here is neither our purpose nor possible. However, from the standpoint of fundamental principles, we can divide them into two categories:

First: Those cultures whose foundations are not based on any religious or spiritual outlook have placed before their followers the goal of attaining superiority and dominance. This goal consists of several fundamental elements. Its principal and important elements are these:

* The desire to attain political superiority and domination.

* The ambition to surpass everyone else in wealth and possessions, whether through conquering countries or by establishing dominance in industry and commerce.

* The desire to gain priority over everyone else in social advancement, whether in the fields of knowledge, science and the arts, or in the splendor and magnificence of culture and civilization.

Apparently, this collective goal of life does not conflict with the aforementioned personal goal of life. For it can be said without the slightest thought or deliberation that once this objective has been determined for society, the individual’s goal of life is determined along with it. Because of this goal’s outward appearance of plausibility, millions upon millions of people in a nation merge their personal goals of life into it. But foresight and practical experience have proved that, in reality, this collective objective is completely opposed to the natural goal of the individual’s life. It is clear that the nations wishing to attain dominance and superiority are not limited to one in the world; rather, in the same age several nations pursue this goal and strive to attain it. The inevitable result is that intense political, economic and civilizational conflicts begin among them; a tremendous tumult of resistance, competition and rivalry arises, and amid this uproar and disorder it becomes almost impossible for the individual to attain peace, comfort, ease and mental tranquility. This is precisely the situation prevailing today before our eyes in the Western countries. Yet even if it were assumed that in some particular age only one nation would strive to attain this goal, and that no other nation would obstruct its path, the presence of a personal goal of life for the people would still be impossible as a result of its success. For it is the natural character of such a collective goal that it not only creates international rivalry, but also arouses a spirit of mutual competition among the people of the nation itself. As a result, establishing dominance over the people of other nations; surpassing everyone else in wealth, authority, power, splendor and luxury; taking the keys to others’ sustenance into one’s own possession; establishing a personal monopoly over every possible means and resource of earning money; wishing to keep all profit and benefit for oneself while assigning loss and failure to others; and striving to make oneself the ruler and others subservient and obedient—these become the life goals of every individual in the nation. First, the desires and ambitions of such people are never satisfied anywhere, and therefore they remain perpetually restless and uncertain. Second, when this kind of rivalry arises among the people of a nation, every home and every marketplace becomes a battlefield. Consequently, however abundantly wealth, authority and luxury may be accumulated, peace and comfort, security and freedom from anxiety, joy and ease become exceedingly rare.

Moreover, it is natural that purely material progress—in which spirituality has no place—can never give human beings comfort, because the pursuit of purely sensual pleasure is merely a biological goal; and if it is true that the human being is not merely an ordinary animal, but occupies a position higher than that, then it must also certainly be true that a person cannot attain security merely by acquiring those things whose enjoyment is sufficient to satisfy purely biological desires.

Second: Cultures founded upon religious and spiritual thought have generally declared liberation or salvation to be their goal. Without doubt, the spiritual element that gives people comfort and mental peace is present within this goal. It is also true that liberation can be the goal of a nation. But a somewhat deeper examination makes it clear that this, too, cannot in fact be a flawless goal of life. There are several reasons for this.

First, a kind of self-centeredness is concealed within the goal of liberation. Its nature is to weaken the collective and strengthen individuality. When an individual can attain liberation merely by performing certain specific acts, there remains nothing within this goal that can inspire the individual to give the collective precedence over individual self-interest and to adopt the same code of action as society in order to organize it properly. Therefore, this spirit of individual self-interest is completely opposed to the true goal of culture.

Second, the question of liberation is in fact deeply connected with the means of attaining liberation. Therefore, whether this goal is pure or impure depends to a great extent on the purity or impurity of the means devised for attaining it. For example, the religions that prescribe renunciation of the world and asceticism as the means of liberation can make liberation neither a goal of individual life nor a collective goal. Ultimately, the followers of such religions were compelled to separate religion from the world and to devise intermediary means for the liberation of worldly people, such as serving religious people, performing penance, and so on. The result was that this goal was no longer a common goal shared by individuals and society together. Secondly, apart from an insignificant number of religious people, this goal retained no such nobility, importance, or power of attraction for the whole of society as could preserve it intact. Consequently, all worldly people abandoned it and rushed toward the material goal mentioned above. On the other hand, among the religions that declare liberation to depend on the satisfaction of various gods and objects of worship, unity cannot be maintained. Different groups turn toward different objects of worship, and the true unity—the establishment of which within the goal, and by the bond of which all followers are linked, is the real work of culture—does not remain. Therefore, if the followers of these religions wish to advance along the path of worldly progress and to consolidate their own society, they too find it necessary to adopt a different goal.

There is another kind of religion whose call is addressed not to the whole human race, but to a particular lineage or tribe, or to a people living in a particular geographical region. Accordingly, in its view, liberation is reserved only for that particular tribe or nation. Undoubtedly, this goal may become a successful collective goal during the early stages of civilization and culture. But even this does not fully pass the test of sound judgment and reason. In particular, human conscience and reason cannot accept the claim that liberation is reserved for a particular tribe. For this reason, as soon as the followers of such religions take a few steps along the path of intellectual progress, they themselves rebel against this goal, erase it from their hearts, and adopt another goal.

Third, however sacred the goal of liberation may seem from a religious and spiritual point of view, from a worldly point of view it contains nothing that can inspire a nation or generate the consciousness, enthusiasm, strength, and activity necessary for national progress. That is why no progressive nation to date has adopted it as its collective goal; rather, among those nations whose religion has put forward this one goal alone, it has generally continued to hold the status of an individual goal.

For all these reasons, neither the material nor the spiritual goal fully passes the test of a flawless standard. We shall now see what Islamicate culture has declared to be its goal, and which characteristics have established it as a flawless goal.

The Goal of Islamicate Culture and Its Characteristics:

At the very outset of this discussion, it is important to remember clearly that the question of the goal of life is in fact deeply connected with the question of the philosophy of life. The conception we hold of worldly life, and the doctrine we believe concerning our status in the world and the status of the world for us, naturally determines a goal for life and causes us to devote all our strength and ability to attaining that goal. If we regard the world as a pasture and conceive of life merely as an opportunity to find satisfaction in eating, drinking, and worldly pleasures, then this biological conception will undoubtedly awaken within us a biological goal concerning life, and throughout our lives we shall strive only to acquire sensual means of enjoyment. Conversely, if we regard ourselves as born criminals and sinners by nature, then, because of that inherited sin, this world will become a prison and a place of confinement for us, and a desire to escape this captivity will arise within us; for this reason, we shall declare liberation to be our goal in life. But if our conception of the world is more elevated than that of a pasture or a prison, and if, as human beings, we consider ourselves more worthy than ordinary animals and criminals, then surely we shall seek a goal superior to both the pursuit of material means of enjoyment and the attainment of deliverance, and our attention will not be fixed upon anything trivial or insignificant.

Keeping this principle in view, when you see that Islam has declared man to be Allah’s khalifah and His representative on earth, your reason and conscience will naturally arrive at the goal that can and ought naturally to arise from this philosophy of life. What other goal can a representative have besides attaining his master’s pleasure and approval and being regarded in his sight as a good, obedient, trustworthy and dutiful employee? If he is truthful and well-intentioned, can anything besides winning his master’s pleasure through obeying his commands be his objective? Will he perform his duty tempted by the prospect of increased wages, the hope of gaining some benefit, promotion or a reward, or the lure of greater fame, reputation and status? Of course, if the master, out of his pleasure, grants him these things, that is another matter. The master may also promise to grant them to him in return for proper service; he may even know that, if he performs his duties correctly, the master will gladly give him such-and-such rewards. But if he makes the reward his own goal and performs his duty merely for personal gain, can any sensible person call such an employee a dutiful employee? By this example, you can also infer the matter of Allah and His representative. When man is Allah’s representative on earth, what other goal can he have in life besides attaining Allah’s pleasure and approval?

“Indeed, whoever submits himself to Allah and does good deeds, his reward is with his Lord; there shall be no fear for such people, nor shall they grieve.” — (Surah Al-Baqarah: 112)

“Know that it is only through the remembrance of Allah that hearts find peace and tranquility.” — (Surah Ar-Ra‘d: 28)

The second thing that people seek in worldly life is comfort—that is, a life free from anxiety and worry. The Qur’an says that this too is naturally attained when one believes in Allah, remains safe from His wrath, and adopts piety and righteous conduct for His sake.

“If the people of these towns had believed and adopted piety, We would surely have opened for them the doors of blessings from the heavens and the earth.” — (Surah Al-A‘raf: 96)

“Whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer, We will surely grant them a pleasant life. And We will certainly give such people a reward far better than their deeds.” — (Surah An-Nahl: 97)

The third thing most desired and sought by people is statehood and governing power, as well as dominance and high status. The Qur’an says that if you devote yourselves to Allah, this possession will itself come and fall at your feet.

“Whoever takes Allah, His Messenger and the believers as allies has joined Allah’s party—and surely Allah’s party will be victorious.” — (Surah Al-Ma’idah: 56)

“We have written in the Zabur, after the admonition and exhortation, that My righteous servants shall inherit the earth.”

“Allah has promised those among you who have believed and done righteous deeds that He will surely make them successors in the earth, just as He made those before them successors; and that He will surely establish for them the religion He has chosen for them, and He will surely replace their state of fear with security.” —(Surah An-Nur: 55)

Likewise, salvation in the life of the Hereafter is the deepest desire of human beings. Concerning this too, the Qur’an says that it is solely the result of attaining Allah’s pleasure:

“O tranquil soul, return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing to Him; then enter among My servants and enter My Paradise.” —(Surah Al-Fajr: 27–30)

It is thus known that Islam has not even turned its attention to the things that others have declared desirable and sought-after; rather, it has made that which automatically brings about all these things its objective. In the pursuit of the things that others call their objectives, a Muslim would not involve his heart even for a moment, for in his view this is not worthy of the slightest effort. Before him stands a great objective, higher and more exalted than all those objectives and everything in creation. He knows full well that when he reaches this highest objective, he will automatically attain everything subordinate to it. Just as, when one ascends to the top floor of a building, the intermediate floors lie beneath the feet of the climber, so does a Muslim find that every such thing lies beneath him when he reaches his objective.

Six: Taqwa—the finest motivation for righteous conduct—Another characteristic of this objective is that the high standard of piety and righteous conduct established by Islam, together with the rules distinguishing right from wrong that it has laid down, can be upheld only through this objective as a refined and pure motive for inspiring people to follow them.

There is no shortage of people who say that a good deed in this world should be done simply because it is a good deed, and that wrongdoing should be avoided merely because it is wrongdoing. But those who speak in this way do not even know its true significance. To do a good deed merely for its own sake means that the good deed has no connection with any benefit or welfare; it is simply a good deed, and for that very reason it can be a person’s objective. Similarly, to refrain from wrongdoing merely because it is wrongdoing means that, separated from every form of harm and evil, wrongdoing is wrongdoing by its own nature, as though its very character could make it something that people ought to avoid. In reality, however, there is no such absolutely pure good deed in this world that is free from the benefits and welfare capable of being conferred upon the individual human being. Nor is there any such pure wrongdoing that is devoid of the harm it causes to the individual human being. Rather, the truth is that people’s concepts of good and wrongdoing have arisen from their experience of gain and loss, benefit and harm. People call an act a good deed when it genuinely benefits them, even if it apparently contains some harmful element. Conversely, they call an act wrongdoing when it truly causes them harm, even if outwardly it contains some benefit. If an act is stripped of the qualities of gain and loss and remains merely an act, then we cannot call it either a good deed or wrongdoing. There is no doubt that, after the habit of doing good deeds has grown firm and a person has reached a higher intellectual level, it may be possible for him to do good merely for the sake of good and refrain from wrongdoing merely because it is wrongdoing, even after freeing himself from the concepts of gain and loss. But, first, this is merely forgetfulness of the source of good and evil, not the removal of that source; and, second, it is merely an ascent into the imagined heaven of philosophers—indeed, in practice, even the greatest scientists have not been fortunate enough to reach this point. How, then, can ordinary people adopt mere adherence to good and avoidance of wrongdoing as their objective?

It has thus become clear that the concept of good and wrongdoing cannot be separated from the concept of gain and loss. Unless some benefit is inherent in a good deed, it cannot be beneficial to people. Similarly, unless some harm is concealed within wrongdoing, it cannot be called something that ought to be avoided. Now, if we wish to elevate piety and righteous conduct from the low level of selfishness to the higher level of selflessness and sincerity, and to call it the foundation of an impartial and universal moral law, the best way is to establish a standard of gain and loss that is higher than materialism and selfishness. On the basis of this standard, a good deed may appear beneficial to people solely because it is good, despite being accompanied by every kind of material and human loss; and a sinful act may appear harmful solely because it is harmful, despite being beneficial in every respect. Islam has adopted precisely this approach. It has declared the attainment or failure to attain Allah’s pleasure to be the sole standard of gain and loss. This standard is completely pure of the filth of materialistic self-interest. According to this standard, a righteous person may sacrifice his life, wealth, children, good name, reputation, and so on for the sake of attaining Allah’s pleasure, yet believe that he has gained. Conversely, after incurring Allah’s wrath, a wrongdoer may obtain every worldly and selfish advantage, yet fear that he is suffering loss. This is what makes a person indifferent to worldly gain and loss and inspires him to adopt piety and righteous conduct with a selfless heart.

Thus far, two matters have been explained. First, what has Islam declared to be the aim of life? Second, for what reasons has it been regarded as a worthy aim? We must now turn our attention to the third aspect of this question: what role has this aim played in giving Islamic culture the form of a distinct culture, and what special status has it bestowed upon this culture?

The Effect of Determining the Aim on the Determination of the Way

It has already been indicated that, just as determining an aim is essential in all the affairs of life, so is determining the means of attaining that aim. A means can never be determined on any basis other than its relation to the aim. If a person has no definite aim before him except merely wandering about, and goes around clearing the dust from roads, streets, and alleys, we call him mad or a vagabond. And if, despite having an aim, he does not follow any particular one among the various means of attaining it, but is instead prepared to adopt whichever means appears to lead toward his aim, we also call him foolish. For a person who tries ten different routes to reach a particular place can, according to reason and judgment, never arrive at his destination. Similarly, if someone declares a particular thing to be his objective but adopts a means leading in the opposite direction to attain it, we do not consider him intelligent. He is like the Bedouin who took the road to Turkistan in order to go toward the Kaaba. Thus, practical success for a person requires first determining an aim for the journey of life, then directing all his wishes, desires, efforts, and endeavors toward that aim, and, if there are several routes to the destination, adopting the best of them and abandoning all the rest.

This acceptance and rejection are entirely rational. The result of determining an aim is that the means particularly suited to that aim must be adopted, while all the remaining means must be avoided. When an intelligent person sets out on a journey, he proceeds along the best route to reach his destination. During his journey, he may discover ten or twenty other routes, but he does not even turn to look at them. An intelligent student adopts that branch of knowledge which is most helpful in attaining his objective. He does not like to spend his time on branches unrelated to it. An intelligent and farsighted merchant adopts for himself the business method regarded as the best means of achieving success. He considers it foolishness to invest capital in just any enterprise or expend his labor in just any occupation. A critic may give an opinion only as to whether the method followed in this acceptance and rejection is the best for reaching the destination. But no objection can be raised against the acceptance and rejection themselves.

This truth applies to the minutest affairs of life just as it applies to life as a whole. If a person has no aim concerning his life, or if his aim is merely to live for the sake of living, then he may adopt any means he wishes for conducting his life. For him, distinguishing among the various means between good and bad, pure and impure, or superior and inferior is entirely meaningless; he may fulfill his desires and needs however he pleases. Even if external cause and effect compel him to some extent to follow a particular means, they cannot make his entire life conform to any order, discipline, or set of rules. For he will possess no fundamental inner motive for order and discipline. On the other hand, if he has an aim concerning life—or, to put it plainly, if a rational human aim rises firmly in his mind above the innate biological aim of life—then he will certainly distinguish among the various means. And if he is truly an intelligent person, he must adopt, among the various ways of living, the one most suited to attaining his aim. Once he has determined an aim, it is by no means proper for him to enjoy the same freedom in adopting means as a person without an aim.

Now extend this principle somewhat further. Consider society in place of the individual: this same principle applies equally to a multitude of people. As long as a society remains at the primitive stage of civilization and has no higher or still higher aim before it beyond the innate biological aim of life, it remains as free in its customs and conduct as a person without an aim. But when, with the gradual development of intellect and the attainment of a higher stage of civilization, a culture emerges within it, and that culture determines a rational aim for its collective life, then it becomes absolutely essential for the culture to devise, in light of that aim, a particular system for beliefs and convictions, ideas and notions, transactions, moral character, social relations, economics, and so forth; to make the followers of the culture adhere to that system; and, while remaining within its jurisdiction, to grant no one the freedom to adopt any creed or code of conduct outside it.

Uncompromising strictness in preserving its own system of rules is consistent with the very nature of a culture. A culture whose bonds become lax in this regard, and whose system of rules becomes weak and slack, can never survive. For the existence of a culture depends on its followers adhering to the beliefs and methods of conduct that it has devised. When its followers cease to follow its beliefs and methods of conduct, and ideas, customs, and practices outside those methods come to overwhelm their actual lives, then in practice nothing of the culture will remain. Therefore, it is entirely justified for a culture to demand that its followers follow the system it has itself devised and to pressure them to sever their ties with other external systems. At most, a critic may discuss whether its aim is sound or unsound, judge whether this particular means is suitable for that aim, or express an opinion as to whether following this method is possible under all circumstances. But one cannot say that the culture in question has no right to demand that its followers follow the system it has itself devised.

Furthermore, once the principle has been accepted that the particular path and method prescribed for mental and practical life in fact depend on the nature of the goal, and that differences in goals necessarily require differences in paths and methods, it must also be accepted that the practical and doctrinal systems of cultures whose goals diverge from one another must inevitably differ from one another as well. Some parts of those systems may resemble one another, and some minor details of one system may enter into another; but from such minor resemblances one cannot conclude that there is an overall resemblance, nor does the borrowing of minor elements make it inevitable that the entire system has been borrowed.

Two further principles follow from this fundamental principle:

First, the practical system of a culture that pursues a particular goal cannot be evaluated by taking as its standard the system of a culture that pursues a different goal. In other words, it is not sound criticism to declare that system correct only if it resembles the other system, and incorrect otherwise.

Second, a culture cannot be preserved while its practical and doctrinal system is exchanged for another system. Nor can the fundamental limbs of one system be inserted into another. Anyone who considers such a hodgepodge possible or sound is ignorant of the very principles of culture and incapable of understanding its temperament and nature.

In the Formation of Islamic Culture

The Role of Its Fundamental Goal

After keeping these preliminary points in mind, it can easily be understood what role its fundamental goal has played in giving Islamic culture the character of a wholly separate and distinctive culture. It was explained in detail earlier that the goal Islam has prescribed for life is fundamentally different from the goals of other religions and cultures. At the same time, it was established that differences in purpose give rise to fundamental differences in the systems of belief and action as well. The logical result, therefore, is that Islam’s goal has given it the character of a distinctive culture, fundamentally different from other cultures, and that its system of belief and practice has fundamental differences from those of other systems. Some parts of this system may perhaps also be found in other systems. But here those parts are not incorporated in the same manner in which they are incorporated into other systems. Once incorporated into a system, a part loses its own nature and assumes the nature of the whole; and when the nature of one whole differs from that of another whole, the nature of each of its parts will inevitably differ from that of the corresponding parts of the other, no matter how much the outward forms of some of its parts may resemble those of some parts of the other.

It has already been stated that Islam has declared man to be Allah’s vicegerent on earth and has appointed the attainment of the pleasure of the মহান Lord whom he represents as the goal of his life. Since this goal is the goal of his entire life, all his activities must be directed toward it; all the powers of his body and soul must be devoted to its path; and this goal must exercise authority over his thoughts, imaginings, reflections, ideas, and movements. His life and death, sleep and waking, eating and drinking, transactions, relationships, friendship and enmity, economic and social life—in short, everything about him—should be devoted to that one sole goal. Moreover, this goal must become so influential and active within him that it is precisely because of this animating consciousness that he remains alive and active. It is now clear that a person who holds such a goal for his life and lives only for that goal can never live like a person who has no goal or pursues a different goal. In accordance with its own nature, this goal transforms a human being into a skilled worker and an active servant—one who lives solely to achieve the goal of his life.

Therefore, after determining this goal, Islam selects one particular way from among the various ways of living and compels people not to waste their precious time and valuable energy by following any way other than that way. In accordance with the nature and character of this goal, it devises a distinct system of beliefs and practices and demands that people never transgress the limits of this particular system under any circumstances. It declares this particular system to be straightforward obedience and submission, and names it dīn (*****), meaning obedience and submission. It says, “(*********)”: ‘Indeed, the dīn with Allah is Islam alone.’

On the basis of this dīn, Islam draws a line of distinction between its followers and those who are not its followers. Those who accept this system of obedience in accordance with this particular goal, it calls ‘Muslims’ (those who submit) and ‘mu’mins’ (those who hold conviction). And those who do not agree with that goal and do not accept this system of obedience, it declares to be ‘kāfirs’ (unbelievers).¹ It abolishes distinctions based on lineage, tribe, nation, community, language, country, and all such classifications and discriminations

¹: Even in the use of the word kāfir, a highly eloquent mode of expression has been followed. In Arabic dictionaries, the root meaning of kufr is to conceal. Thus, night is called kāfir because it conceals objects; a farmer is also called kāfir because he conceals seeds in the earth; and the husk is called kāfūr because it conceals the fruit within the seed. In this way, concealing blessings and failing to offer thanks have been called kufr or kufrān by way of analogy. Islam has declared the word kufr to be the opposite of īmān. Through this, a profound truth has been indicated: those who refuse to accept Islam in reality draw a covering over their own innate nature and disposition.

It abolishes these distinctions and establishes this one distinction between kufr and īmān among the children of Adam. Whoever follows this system—whether from the East or the West—is one of his own. Conversely, whoever does not follow this system—even if he lives beneath the walls of the Ka‘bah, and even if his flesh and blood have been formed solely from the dates of Makkah and the water of Zamzam—is not one of his own.

On the basis of these beliefs and practices, just as it has established a distinction between kufr and īmān among people, so too has it established distinctions among the ways of living and all things in the world: harām and halāl, permissible and impermissible, makrūh and mustahabb. Those actions and customs that assist in attaining that goal and fulfilling the responsibility of khilāfah are, according to their respective circumstances, halāl, permissible, or mustahabb. And those that obstruct and impede this path are, according to their respective circumstances, harām, impermissible, or makrūh. The mu’min who respects this distinction is a muttaqī (pious and God-fearing person), while the one who does not respect it is a fāsiq (transgressor). Among the people of Allah’s party, distinctions of greater and lesser status, and of high and low rank, are not based on wealth, lineage-based nobility, social position, or being white or black, but are established on the basis of taqwā.

(***********)

“Indeed, the most honored of you in the sight of Allah are those among you who are the most muttaqī.” —(Sūrah al-Ḥujurāt: 13)

Thus, in every aspect of human life—in ideas and concepts, thoughts and imaginings, disposition and nature, moral character, economics, social life, culture, civilization, politics, and the administration of the state—in short, the path of Islamic culture becomes completely distinct from the paths of other cultures. This is because Islam’s concept of life is entirely different from that of other cultures. The goal that other cultures have set for life is different in nature from Islam’s goal. Therefore, the conduct and policies that Islam adopts toward the world and the things within it in accordance with its conception, and the way of action it devises for worldly life in order to attain its own goal, are also fundamentally different from the conduct and policies adopted by other cultures. There are many thoughts, imaginings, and ideas of the mind, many desires, inclinations, and tendencies of the self, and many ways of living whose observance, from the perspective of other cultures, is not merely proper but is sometimes absolutely essential to culture. Yet Islam is compelled to declare some of these impermissible, some makrūh, and some, in certain cases, harām. This is because they are entirely consistent with the life-philosophy of those cultures and assist in attaining their goals in life, whereas they have no connection whatsoever with Islam’s life-philosophy or constitute obstacles to the attainment of its goal in life. For example, in many cultures of the world, the fine arts are regarded as the very soul of life, and people skilled and accomplished in these arts are granted the status of ‘national heroes.’ But Islam declares some of them harām, some makrūh, and others permissible to a limited extent. Its laws permit appreciation of beauty and enjoyment of artificial beauty only to the extent that a person can, alongside this, remember Allah, work for His pleasure, and fulfill the responsibility of khilāfah. But wherever this love of beauty becomes stronger than the sense of responsibility; wherever excessive enjoyment turns a person into a worshipper of beauty instead of a worshipper of Allah; wherever the taste for the fine arts intoxicates a person with a passion for luxury, deafening the ears of the heart to the voice of conscience and leaving him without the obedience and sense of responsibility needed to hear the call of duty—at precisely that point Islam raises a wall of contempt, unlawfulness, and prohibition. That is why its purpose is not to produce Tansen, Bandadin, Mani, and Bahzad (1), Charlie Chaplin, and Mary Pickford; rather, it seeks to produce Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him), Ali ibn Abu Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), Husayn ibn Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and Rabia Basri (may Allah be pleased with her).

With the help of this example, the broader conditions of society, civilization, and many other matters may be inferred. In particular, with regard to the relationship between women and men, the dealings of the rich and the poor, the relationship between rulers and subjects, and the mutual conduct of other human classes, the way prescribed by Islam is fundamentally different from the ways devised by all ancient and modern civilizations. To make the methods followed by other civilizations the standard and then assess the method adopted by Islam is, in essence, a sign of error. Those who undertake such a task are utterly superficial and profoundly ignorant of the real truth.

“Three”

Fundamental Beliefs and Ideas

1. The Meaning and Importance of Faith

After the philosophy of life and the purpose of life, the third question now arises before us: On what basis does Islam reconstruct the human character?

Character and Its Mental Foundation

The source of all human actions and activities is the mind. As the source of actions, the mind has two states. The first state is one in which no particular line of thought becomes firmly established; various disconnected and scattered thoughts continue to enter it, and whichever thought is stronger within it becomes the motive force behind action. The second state is one in which it is not a field for the movement of scattered thoughts; rather, a few particular ideas become so firmly rooted within it that a person’s entire practical life remains permanently under their influence, and instead of scattered actions being performed through him, orderly and well-integrated activities continue to be carried out. The first state may be compared to a highway: it is open and unrestricted to every traveler. No one has any special distinction on it. The second state is like a mold; a thing of a particular form and shape is continually cast and brought out from within it. When a person’s mind is in the first state, we say that he has no character. He may be a devil, or he may be an angel. His nature contains a multitude of dispositions. There is no certainty about what kind of action he may perform at any given time. On the other hand, if he reaches the second state, we say that he has a character of his own. His practical life has order, discipline, and continuity. Moreover, it can be stated with certainty what he will do in any given situation.

The First Condition of Orderly Conduct:

It has thus become clear that adopting a dependable order and discipline in human practical life depends on the formation of a definite character. To form such a character, the mind must be freed from confusion in thought; certain distinctive ideas must become firmly rooted within it; and those ideas must be endowed with such stability, strength, and firmness that no other ideas can enter and create confusion in the mental world. The more deeply these ideas are rooted, the stronger the character will be, and the more orderly, coherent, and dependable human practical life will become. Conversely, the more weakness there is in them, and the more room there is for contrary ideas to gain entry, the weaker the character will be, while practical life will become equally disordered and unreliable.

The Meaning of Iman:

In the language of the Qur’an, that mental foundation of character is called ‘Iman.’ The word Iman is derived from the root ‘amn’ (*******). The actual meaning of ‘amn’ is attaining tranquility and fearlessness of the soul. From it is formed ‘amanat,’ which is the opposite of betrayal. That is, amanat is that in which there is no fear of betrayal. An Amin is called Amin because one’s heart is free from apprehension regarding his good conduct, and one trusts that he will not behave improperly. Similarly, a camel that is gentle and obedient is called amun (***), because there is no fear of disobedience or harm from it. Another derived form from this same root is ‘Iman’ (****). Its significance is that a matter must be so firmly established in the mind, with deep conviction and certainty of its truth, that no apprehension remains that anything opposed to it might find a way in and enter. The weakness of Iman means that the mind is not completely certain of that matter, the heart has not attained complete tranquility, and there remains an opportunity for opposing ideas to enter the mind. As a result, character has become weak, and this has created disorder in practical life. The attainment of strength and firmness in Iman is the opposite of this. Strong Iman means that character has been established upon a firm and certain foundation. One can then rely on the fact that practical actions will be carried out precisely according to the thoughts and ideas rooted in the mind, which have shaped character.

The Place of Iman in Establishing the Foundations of Civilization:

If different individuals have faith in different kinds of beliefs and ideas, and their characters are founded upon different and mutually conflicting bases, then no social or collective organization can be formed. They are like many stones scattered across a field: each stone certainly possesses its own solidity, but there is no bond connecting them. On the other hand, if one unified body of ideas becomes rooted as Iman in the minds of a large number of people, that unity of Iman will turn them into a nation—just as the scattered stones, when bonded together with lime, brick dust, and cement, become a strong wall. Mutual assistance and cooperation will then properly begin among them, and as a result, the pace of their progress will become increasingly rapid. This kind of Iman will create harmony in their characters and similarity in their practical actions. As a result, a particular civilization will prevail, a distinctive culture will emerge, a new nation will arise, and it will construct the edifice of civilization in a new manner.

It has become clear from this discussion that the fundamental idea which becomes rooted as Iman among the followers of a civilization has an extremely far-reaching importance within that civilization.

Iman Is of Two Types:

We must now examine what the condition of the world’s various civilizations is with regard to Iman. The word Iman is, in fact, a religious term. But since here we are using it in the sense of a fundamental body of ideas, in this sense it may be divided into two categories. One is religious, and the other is worldly. Religious Iman can be the foundation only of a religion-based civilization, because in this case the same Iman holds authority in both the religious and worldly spheres. But in a civilization that is not religion-based, worldly Iman becomes separated from religious Iman, and religious Iman has no influence whatsoever on personal or national life.

Religious Faith:

Religious faith is generally composed of matters that build human character upon spiritual and moral foundations. These include one or more deities endowed with distinguished qualities, books acknowledged as divine, and the teachings and principles of religious leaders, upon which belief and conduct are founded. Leaving aside the religious perspective, from a purely worldly point of view, the success of such faith depends on two things. First, the matters that religion presents as true and demands that people believe in must, in terms of reason and sound judgment, be in accord with truth. Second, those matters must be understood in such a way that human character can be properly reconstructed on their basis. In other words, their spirituality must lay the foundation of a high-quality moral system, and their moral character must be formed in such a way that, along with its own purity and cleanliness, it makes people capable of attaining success and fulfillment in worldly life.

The first condition is necessary because if faith is merely a collection of beliefs, or if belief predominates in it while reason is present only in small measure, then its influence in the human mind will remain entirely subject to ignorance and foolishness. As soon as human knowledge and intellect begin to advance toward higher stages of development, disenchantment with false beliefs will begin; the foundations of faith will start to tremble, and the entire system of spirituality and morality upon which individual and national character had been built will be shattered. As an example, we may mention the ideas and beliefs that various polytheistic religions present concerning gods and goddesses, deities, Allah, and religious leaders. Impartial conscience and reason refuse to accept as true the qualities attributed to them, the actions ascribed to them, and the stories composed about them, or to have faith in them. It is often seen that nations holding such beliefs are entirely unfit to achieve advancement and progress in the world. False beliefs exert such a harmful influence on their minds that even their finest energies for action become completely inert. Their inspiration produces neither greatness nor firmness of resolve. Their vision gains neither breadth, their minds no light, nor their hearts moral courage. Ultimately, this becomes the cause of lasting poverty, humiliation, worthlessness, and servitude for that nation. Conversely, among those nations in which the path to progress opens for this reason, the more they advance in knowledge and intellect, the more their faith in their own Rabb, deities, and religious leaders disappears. At first, of course, merely for the sake of preserving social order, an attempt is made to retain that false faith despite considerable difficulty. But gradually their minds and intellects become so intensely rebellious against it that, in the end, no bond remains in the nation’s heart for those beliefs. Only a small spiritual group is left to maintain a genuine or professional faith in them. In the hearts and minds of the entire remaining nation, a different kind of faith—the faith we have called worldly faith—comes to dominate.

The necessity of the second condition is perfectly clear. Faith that cannot prepare people to achieve success in worldly life remains limited to moral and spiritual life and cannot reach material life. In terms of its consequences, this too has two possible outcomes. Either the nation that believes in such things will make no progress at all; or, even if it progresses, it will soon free itself from their restraints, and religious faith will give way to cultural faith. Then, as the nation’s activity in the endeavors of material life increases, it will become free from the influence of morality, spirituality, and religious faith.

I do not wish deliberately to find fault with any religion. Therefore, I will not discuss the beliefs of the various religions here in detail. If you examine the religions of the world attentively, you will surely learn how the faiths of various religions have hindered their followers from achieving progress in worldly life and how they have been unable to keep pace with the advancement of knowledge and intellect. Moreover, you will also see that other nations retained faith in their religious matters during their periods of decline and abandoned them during their periods of rise. The Muslim, on the other hand, was strongest in his faith when he was most advanced and progressive in the world. And when he fell behind in knowledge, intellect, and worldly progress, and other nations conquered him, that was precisely when weakness entered his faith. Today Muslims are in a state of extreme decline, and at the same time they are severely afflicted by the disease of weakness in faith. But a thousand or twelve hundred years ago, they stood at the highest pinnacle of progress and were, at the same time, extraordinarily strong in their faith. By contrast, when the Christians of Europe and the Buddhists of Japan were genuinely Christian and Buddhist, they were at the lowest stage of degradation. And when they achieved development and progress, they no longer retained faith in Christianity and Buddhism. Indeed, this is such a striking difference between the faith of Islam and the faiths of other religions that any intelligent and discerning person can easily perceive it.

Worldly Faith

Let us now turn our attention to the matters we have called worldly faith. There is no religious element in this faith. Here there is no God and no religious leader; no divine scripture and no teaching capable of building human character upon moral and spiritual foundations. This is a purely worldly matter.

The greatest thing within it is the ‘nation’ or ‘people.’ People living within a particular geographical boundary make it their deity and worship it with complete devotion and concentration. In this respect, all ‘nation-worshippers’ believe that the nation is the master of their wealth and lives, that serving it is an absolute duty, and that dedicating body and mind, wealth and life to it is the greatest good fortune. Not only this, they also believe that their nation alone stands for truth, that they are the heirs and rightful claimants of the land, that all the lands of the world are spoils of war for them, and that all other nations are equivalent to prisoners of war. Therefore, it is the duty of every individual to raise the flag of his own nation throughout the world.

The second object of worship is the country’s “laws.” They make these laws themselves, and then worship them themselves. This worship is what guarantees their social and collective order and discipline.

The third object of worship is their own “nafs,” or appetites. They are always attentive to its nourishment, the fulfillment of its wishes and needs, and the satisfaction of its demands and desires.

The fourth object of worship is “knowledge” and “wisdom” (ʿilm and ḥikmah). Having faith in these, they advance along the path of progress and development in their light and under their guidance.

This faith is certainly beneficial to some extent in worldly life. But even if we set aside the question of its worth from the standpoint of truth and integrity, it may still be said, from a purely worldly perspective, that its benefit is neither genuine nor lasting. Its greatest defect is that it contains no spiritual or moral element; consequently, as soon as the restraints of religion are relaxed, the door to moral corruption is opened. Moreover, it is not the function of law to create moral consciousness in people’s hearts or, in reality, to establish any standard of morality. Indeed, it contains no power capable of preserving morality in individual or social life. Its influence and sphere of operation are extremely limited. This helplessness is even more evident when the laws in question are made by the people themselves. For this reason, loosening and narrowing the restraints imposed by such laws is entirely subject to the people’s will; the more the desire for freedom of action grows among them, the narrower and more intolerable the old moral restraints seem. When this feeling regarding moral restraints becomes widespread, the law is compelled by the pressure of public opinion to relax its own restraints. Thus, gradually, all the restraints of morality are removed, and a widespread moral decline begins. Moral decline is such a thing that none of the abundance of wealth, the power of the state, material resources, or knowledge and intellect can resist its destructive effects. The rot begins from within and brings down even the strongest edifice, along with all its adornments.

Besides this, the other harmful consequences of race-worship and self-worship are so manifest that an extensive and detailed account of them is unnecessary. No discussion or reflection is now needed to understand them, for they have passed beyond the stage of theories and entered the realm of experience and observation. We can see with our own eyes today that, because of them, a great civilization has reached the brink of destruction and ruin. This is the inevitable consequence of all those things whose certain emergence has filled the entire world with fear and alarm.

Some General Principles

A number of general principles are established by this entire discussion. Before proceeding to the discussion that follows, these should be firmly rooted in the heart in their proper order.

First: The order and cohesion of all human activities depend on the formation of a stable and well-defined character. Without a stable character, human life in practice remains disordered, changeable, and unreliable.

Two: It is upon those ideas which become firmly rooted in the human mind with full force and gain such ascendancy that they bring all a person’s energies into action under their influence that character is founded. In Islamic terminology, this becoming firmly rooted is called “iman,” while all such firmly rooted ideas are termed “imaniyat.”

Three: The goodness or badness, soundness or unsoundness, strength or weakness of character depends entirely upon the soundness and strength of those matters of “imaniyat,” that is, iman. If they are sound, character will also be sound; if they are strong, character will also be strong. Otherwise, the matter will turn out exactly the opposite. Therefore, in order to establish a sound and elevated system of discipline in human life, it is essential to found character upon an infallible and firm iman.

Four: Just as iman is necessary to free the activities of an individual’s personal life from dispersion and make them integrated and orderly, so, in order to rescue many individuals from disunity and separation and form an orderly and cohesive society, it is essential to firmly implant this indivisible iman in the hearts of all of them. Society and civilization demand this.

Five: When, under the influence of a single, indivisible iman, a single national character develops among many people, and that character creates a certain similarity in the activities of their lives, then a culture of a particular type and nature comes into being. From this perspective, in the formation and foundation of every culture, the matters of iman that determine and strengthen the national character are extremely influential.

Six: For a nation whose iman encompasses spiritual matters, its religion and culture are one and the same. But for a nation whose iman encompasses worldly matters, its culture remains separate from its religion. In the latter case, religion retains no particular influence in personal and national life.

Seven: The separation of culture from religion ultimately becomes a cause of moral decline and destruction.

Eight: If culture is to remain under the influence of religion, the religion’s “imaniyat” must encompass such spiritual matters as can assist the development of human intellect from the ordinary level to the highest level. At the same time, a person’s character must be shaped through matters that enable people to be both devout and worldly in the highest degree. Indeed, their worldly life will become precisely their religious life, and their religious life precisely their worldly life.

Nine: For a nation whose religion and culture are one and the same, its iman is not merely religious iman; it is simultaneously worldly iman as well. Therefore, the wavering of its iman is disastrous for both its religion and its culture, and destructive to both its din and its dunya.

It is in the light of these general principles that we must critically examine Islam’s position regarding faith.

Having considered the significance of faith, its foundational importance in individual character, and its fundamental role in social and collective civilization, let us now examine: What things has Islam called upon people to believe in? To what extent do its articles of faith stand up to the standards of rational criticism? What is the role of faith in its way of life? And to what extent does it influence individual character and the character of humanity as a whole?

2. The Articles of Faith in Islam

The Qur’an discusses the articles of faith so extensively that there is no room for disagreement concerning them. However, some erroneous notions have arisen among those who have failed to understand the Qur’an’s style of expression or have been unable to follow its subject matter. The Qur’an’s method of expression is such that in some places it presents the entire creed all at once, while in others it states certain parts of it according to the time and circumstances and places emphasis on them. As a result, some people have come to think that the Islamic creed can be divided and differentiated—that it is sufficient to believe in one or some of its elements, while a person may attain salvation even by denying others. Yet the Qur’an’s final verdict is that all the matters it presents as articles of faith must be affirmed. None of them can in any way be separated from another. Together, they form one indivisible and undivided reality, and it is incumbent upon people to accept them as a whole. If even one of them is denied, that denial will invalidate the affirmation of all the rest.

It is stated in one place in the Qur’an:

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“Indeed, those who say, ‘Our Lord is Allah,’ and then remain steadfast—the angels descend upon them.” (Surah Ha-Mim as-Sajdah: 30)

This verse mentions only believing in Allah and declares that the success of this world and the Hereafter depends upon it.

In a second place, the Last Day is also mentioned alongside Allah:

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“Indeed, those who believe in Allah and the Last Day and do righteous deeds will have their reward with their Lord.” (Surah Al-Baqarah: 62)

The same subject matter is also found in Aal-e-Imran (12), Al-Ma’idah (10), and Ar-Ra’d (4).

In a third place, a call is made to believe in Allah and the Messenger:

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“Therefore, believe in Allah and His messengers. If you believe and adopt taqwa, then you will have a great reward.” (Surah Aal-e-Imran: 179)

A similar statement is also found in Al-Hadid (4).

Elsewhere, the person who has believed in Allah and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is called a believer:

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“Indeed, those are believers who have believed in Allah and His Messenger.” (Surah An-Nur: 62)

This very matter has been reiterated in Muhammad (4), Al-Jinn (2), and Al-Fath (2).

Elsewhere, belief in these three things—Allah, Muhammad (peace be upon him), and the Qur’an—is commanded:

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“Therefore, believe in Allah, His Messenger, and the light (the Qur’an) that I have sent down.” (Surah At-Taghabun: 8)

Elsewhere, these four things—Allah, the Book of Allah, the Qur’an, and the Last Day—are mentioned:

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“And the believers believe in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed before you … and they believe in Allah and the Last Day.” (Surah An-Nisa: 162)

Elsewhere, disbelief in Allah, the angels, the messengers, and the Qur’an has been declared kufr and fisq:

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“Whoever is an enemy of Allah, His angels, His messengers, Gabriel, and Michael—surely Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers. And surely We have revealed clear verses to you; none disbelieves in them except the fasiq.” (Surah Al-Baqarah: 98–99)

Elsewhere, the one who believes in Allah, the angels, the Book of Allah, the messengers, and the Qur’an has been called a mu’min:

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“The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and so have the believers. All of them have believed in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers.” (Surah Al-Baqarah: 285)

In another place, five components of faith have been stated: faith in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, Allah’s Book, and the prophets.

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“Rather, true righteousness is that a person sincerely and wholeheartedly believes in Allah, the Hereafter, the angels, the Book revealed by Allah, and His prophets. Indeed, they are the ones who are truly on the right path; they are the God-fearing.” (Surah Al-Baqarah: 177)

In addition to the five things mentioned in the surah, emphasis has also been placed on believing in Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Qur’an, while those who disbelieve in these have been called unbelievers and misguided.

In one place, emphasis has been placed solely on affirming the Last Day, and denial of it has been identified as the cause of failure.

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The same is repeated in Al-A‘raf (17), Yunus (1), Al-Furqan (2), An-Naml (1), and As-Saffat (1).

Elsewhere, disbelief in Allah’s Book, along with disbelief in the Last Day, is identified as the cause of the severest punishment:

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“They did not expect any reckoning and disbelieved in Our signs, considering them completely false.”

(Surah An-Naba: 27)

In a third place, the Qur’an has also been included among the articles of faith along with the Last Day and Allah’s Book.

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“They believe in the Book that has been revealed to you (that is, the Qur’an), in the scriptures revealed before you, and have firm faith in the Hereafter. Indeed, such people follow the way of life revealed by their Lord, and they are the ones entitled to prosperity.”

(Surah Al-Baqarah: 4–5)

In a fourth place, it is stated that all deeds are rendered futile as a result of disbelief in the Last Day, Allah’s Book, and the messengers. Such a disbelieving person is destined for Hell, and his ‘amal’ has no value.

Above, belief in the Books of Allah has been mentioned repeatedly, and the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms, and the Scriptures of Abraham have been explicitly named among them. But the Qur’an also makes it clear in twenty places that it is not sufficient merely to believe in those Books; it is also essential to believe in the Qur’an. If a person believes in all the Books but rejects the Qur’an, he is an unbeliever just like one who rejects all the Books.

[See: al-Baqarah (11, 12, 14, 16), an-Nisa (7), al-Ma’idah (2–10), ar-Ra’d (3), al-‘Ankabut (5), and az-Zumar (4)]

Not only this, it is essential to believe in every Book sent by Allah.

“If a person believes in some part of it and does not believe in some other part, he too is an unbeliever.”

(Surah al-Baqarah—10)

Likewise, it has been explicitly stated concerning the prophets that it is necessary to believe in all of them. One must believe individually in those whose names have been mentioned, and generally in those whose names have not been mentioned. But if a person believes in all the prophets yet rejects only the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him), he is certainly an unbeliever. This has been stated not in just one place in the Qur’an, but in twenty places, and recognition of Muhammad’s prophethood along with that of all the other prophets has been declared an essential condition of faith.

[See: al-Baqarah (14), an-Nisa (23), al-Ma’idah (3–11), al-An’am (19), al-A’raf (19–20), al-Anfal (3), al-Mu’minun (4), ash-Shura (5), Muhammad (1), and at-Talaq (2)] In most of the verses among these, the communities of Moses and Jesus have been called upon to believe in the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him), and it has been stated that you will not attain guidance until you believe in the Qur’an and in Muhammad (peace be upon him).

From this discussion it has become known that the articles of faith in Islam are five: (1) Allah, (2) the angels, (3) the Books of Allah (including the Qur’an), (4) the prophets [including Muhammad (peace be upon him)], and (5) the Last Day, that is, the Resurrection.

This is a general introduction to faith. What is the detailed doctrine concerning each of its components, what is the relationship among them, why can they not be separated, why does denial of one inevitably result in denial of all, and what is the benefit of including each of them among the articles of faith— all these matters will be explained as we proceed.

Rational Criticism

All five of these beliefs belong to the realm of the unseen and lie completely beyond the material world. Accordingly, in our classification, they are religious and spiritual beliefs. Their distinctive feature, however, is that Islam has established upon them not only its spiritual system, but also the foundations of its moral, political, and civilizational systems. By integrating religion and worldly life, it formulates a system under which every aspect and sphere of human life continues to function. All the power required for establishing, stabilizing, and operating this system is derived from these five beliefs. They constitute an inexhaustible source of strength for it; their outflow is never obstructed. We shall now see how much esteem these articles of faith, through which such a vast undertaking has been accomplished, deserve from the standpoint of reason, and how capable they are of serving as the foundation and source of strength for such a comprehensive and progressive system.

Before seeking the answer to this question, we must firmly establish in our minds that Islam seeks to lay the foundation of a culture that is truly human. That is, it is not related to the people of any particular country or tribe, nor does it possess any special connection with a nation distinguished by its race or language; rather, the welfare of all humanity is its goal. Moreover, it seeks to establish under its influence a social system in which everything beneficial and conducive to human welfare will be nurtured, while everything harmful and detrimental to humanity will be eradicated. The foundation of such a purely human culture cannot at all be laid upon articles of faith connected with the material world. For material objects and sensory phenomena have only two possible kinds of relationship with people: either their relationship with all people is equal—as with the sun, moon, earth, air, and light, for example—or their relationship with all people is not equal—as with country, tribe, race, and language. The things in the first category are not even fit to be objects of faith, because believing in their existence is utterly meaningless; and believing that they exercise any intentional influence over human welfare is erroneous even from the standpoint of knowledge and sound judgment. Furthermore, belief in them produces no benefit whatsoever in people’s moral, spiritual, or practical lives. Then there are the things in the second category. It is clear that they cannot serve as the foundation of a broader human culture, because they arise from discrimination and divisive thinking, not from unity or oneness. Therefore, it is absolutely essential to establish the foundation of such a culture upon objects of faith distinct from material objects and sensory phenomena.

But it is not enough for them merely to be distinct from material objects and sensory phenomena; they must also possess several other characteristics.

First: They must not be superstitious or irrational matters; rather, sound judgment and reason should be inclined to acknowledge their truth.

Second: They must not be remote matters; rather, they must be deeply connected with our lives.

Third: They must contain such latent power that the cultural system can derive complete assistance from them in exercising dominance over human thought and capacity for action.

From this perspective, if we examine the articles of faith in Islam, we find that it fully passes these three tests.

First, there is nothing irrational in the conception Islam presents concerning Allah, the angels, revelation, prophethood, and the Hereafter. It is not impossible for any one of these things to be true. Nor does sound judgment and reason ever reject any of them. It is certainly true that the intellect cannot determine their limits, reach their furthest boundaries, or fully comprehend their inner significance. But this is likewise the case with everything whose existence our learned scientists have so far established. We have not accepted the existence of energy, life, attraction, evolution, and other such things because we have fully comprehended their inner significance. Rather, we have accepted them because, in our view, their existence is necessary to explain the fundamental causes and bases of the various distinct phenomena we have observed. And the theories we have developed concerning the unseen order governing visible things also require the existence of those things. Therefore, to acknowledge the truth of the unseen realities in which Islam calls upon us to believe, it is not necessary for our intellect to fully comprehend their hidden significance or determine their limits. Rather, as a rationale for this, it is sufficient to understand only that the universe and

Islam’s worldview concerning humanity is by no means irrational; its correctness is demonstrable, and it entails the existence of all five things in which Islam calls upon us to believe.

Islam’s worldview is as follows: First, the entire order of the universe was established by a sovereign power, and He alone governs it. Second, under the authority of that sovereign power, another class of innumerable powers oversees the universe in accordance with His commands. Third, the Creator of human beings has placed within their nature two tendencies, toward good and evil; intelligence and folly, knowledge and ignorance, are combined within them. They can follow either the right or the wrong path. Among these opposing forces and diverse tendencies, whichever gains ascendancy, human beings begin to follow it. Fourth, in this struggle between good and evil, their Creator chooses an excellent person from among humankind to support the good tendencies and guide people to the straight path, and commissions him to guide people to the right path with perfect knowledge. Fifth, human beings are not irresponsible or unaccountable beings. They are obliged to answer before their Creator for all their voluntary actions. One day they will have to account for every atom and particle and experience the good or evil consequence of their deeds.

This worldview entails the existence of all five things: Allah, the angels, revelation, prophethood, and the Day of Judgment. None of its claims is unreal from the standpoint of reason and judgment. None of these things can be called superstition or an irrational belief. And the more we reflect on them, the more our interest in their truth increases.

We may not comprehend the significance of Allah, but we have no alternative to acknowledging His existence. This is such a necessity that, without it, it is entirely impossible to resolve the complex mystery of the universe.

We cannot determine the indications of the existence of angels, but there is no room for doubt concerning their existence. All scholars and scientists in the world have acknowledged them in one way or another. Of course, they have not referred to them by the name with which the Qur’an calls them.

The coming of the Resurrection and the fact that, sooner or later, the entire system of the earth will be shattered are not merely highly probable from the standpoint of intellectual inference; they are almost certain.

Although the fact that a person is accountable before his God and deserves reward or punishment for his own deeds cannot be established by clear arguments and proofs, sound judgment is nevertheless compelled to acknowledge at least this much: among all the theories that have been formulated concerning the state after death and what follows death, the view presented by Islam is the finest, most fruitful, and closest to what can reasonably be inferred.

What remains is the question of revelation and prophethood. It is quite clear that no scientific proof can be offered for these. Yet, if we reflect deeply on the meaning of the books presented as divine revelation and on the lives and characters of those described as the Messengers of Allah, we can reach the conclusion that no other book or leader has ever exerted an influence on human thought and conduct as deep, extensive, strong, and beneficial as theirs. This is sufficient to make us believe that there must certainly have been some extraordinary quality within them from which books authored by human beings and ordinary human leaders were deprived.

It becomes perfectly clear from this discussion that the articles of faith in Islam are not contrary to reason. There is nothing in them that gives the intellect any grounds for rejecting them. There is nothing within them that would compel people, upon reaching any stage of scientific or intellectual development, to repudiate them. On the contrary, the intellect itself bears witness to their certainty. What remains is the question of faith and conviction. This is related not to the intellect, but to the mind and conscience. In reality, the existence of all the unseen and incorporeal things in which we believe depends upon our conscience. If we do not wish to accept an unseen matter, or if our minds are not certain about it, no intellectual proof can compel us to recognize it as true. For example, none of the arguments and proofs offered for the existence of the ether (Ether) can establish it with certainty or free it entirely from doubt and uncertainty. For, on the basis of these very arguments and proofs, some philosophers believe in it, while others consider them inadequate and refuse to place their faith in it. Thus, faith and true knowledge fundamentally depend upon peace of mind and the testimony of conscience. Intellect does, of course, exert this much influence: when the truth of matters is established as contrary to reason, conflict begins between conscience and the intellect concerning them, and faith consequently grows weaker. But when the truth of things is not opposed to intellectual conclusions, or when the intellect itself lends some support to recognizing their truth, peace of mind concerning them increases, and faith consequently gains strength.

Secondly, most of the objects of the unseen are theoretical matters; that is, they have no connection with our practical lives. For example, there are the ether (Ether), the primary and general forms of matter, substance, nature and the laws of nature, the law of causation, and many other such theoretical matters or hypotheses, accepting or rejecting which has no effect on our lives. But the unseen matters to which Islam calls us to have faith are not theoretical matters of this kind. Rather, they are deeply connected with our moral and practical lives. The reason their acceptance is called the source of principles is that they are not merely theoretical truths; rather, accurate knowledge of them and complete faith in them exert a powerful influence on our own qualities and dispositions, our individual actions, and our social and collective affairs.

Thirdly, the kind of power needed to establish the authority of Islamic culture and the Islamic way of life over a vast human society of varying intellectual and educational standings, reaching into even the hidden and smallest departments of their lives, and to keep its bonds firm, can be attained only through the very convictions presented by Islam. The conviction that an All-Knowing and All-Seeing, Mighty and Powerful, Merciful and Compassionate Allah holds authority over us; that His countless hosts are present everywhere and in every condition; that He Himself sent prophets for humanity; that the rules and ordinances given to us by those prophets were not devised by them but received entirely from Allah Himself; and that we must inevitably suffer the good or evil consequences of our obedience or disobedience—within this conviction lies a tremendous and far-reaching power that cannot be attained by any other means. Material power can encompass only the body; the moral influence of education and training can reach only the upper classes of human society. The law can operate only where its guardians are able to reach. But this power of conviction takes possession of the human mind and heart. It encompasses everyone within itself—the ordinary and the extraordinary, the ignorant and the educated, the intelligent and the foolish. It carries out its work in the solitude of the wilderness and in the darkness of night. Where there is no one to restrain people from wrongdoing and sin, to condemn and rebuke them for it, or even to see them, the conviction that Allah is ever-present and ever-watchful, belief in the truth of the teachings given by the prophets, and faith in the questioning of the Day of Resurrection accomplish what no police constable, court judge, or professor’s instruction could possibly accomplish. Moreover, the way this conviction has brought together the countless, diverse, scattered, and mutually conflicting people of the world, formed them into one great nation, created the utmost uniformity in their thoughts, actions, and customs, spread one culture among them despite their environmental and intellectual differences, and infused them with the inspiration to sacrifice themselves for the highest goal has no parallel anywhere else.

All that has been established so far is that, in Islamic terminology, faith means belief in Allah, the angels, the Books, the Messengers, and the Last Day. These five convictions together form one unified and indivisible whole. In other words, such an inseparable relationship exists among them that denial of any one part inevitably entails denial of the entire conviction. Moreover, rational analysis has proved that, for the kind of culture Islam seeks to establish, only these matters can qualify as objects of conviction, and such conviction is necessary for it. Furthermore, there is nothing within it that is incapable of cooperating with scientific and intellectual advancement.

We must now turn our attention to the third question. It is this: What is the status of faith, and why does it have this status? People have made many mistakes in understanding this question, and some renowned scholars have stumbled in this matter. For this reason, the subject needs to be explained somewhat openly and clearly.

The Importance of Faith in Islam

If it is asked what the central theme of the Qur’an’s message is, the answer can be given in a single word: “faith.” The very purpose of the revelation of the Qur’an and the coming of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is to call people to faith. The Qur’an clearly states regarding its bearer and conveyer that he is the caller to faith.

Verse

“Our Lord, surely we have responded to the call of one who calls to faith.”

And it declares about itself that it will guide only those who are prepared to believe in the unseen—that is, in the matters of faith mentioned above.

Verse

“This Qur’an is guidance for the God-fearing, who believe in the unseen.” (Surah al-Baqarah: 2–3)

Through exhortation, good counsel, promises, arguments and proofs, and stories, it calls people toward that very goal. Its first demand from people is that they bring faith. Then it proceeds toward self-purification, moral reform, and the establishment of social and state laws. In its view, faith is truth, honesty, knowledge, guidance and light. The absence of faith—that is, disbelief—is ignorance, oppression, falsehood, lies and misguidance.

The Wise Qur’an draws a clear dividing line and divides all the people of the world into two categories. One category consists of those who possess faith, and the second of the unbelievers. In its view, the first category is devoted to truth and enriched with knowledge and light; the path of guidance and the doors of taqwa and piety are open to it; it alone is entitled to attain well-being. The second category, in its view, consists of disbelievers, wrongdoers, fools and those enveloped in darkness; the path of guidance is closed to them. They have no share in taqwa and piety. Loss, destruction and failure have been decreed for them. It presents an example of these two groups in this way: one is blind and deaf, while the other possesses sight and hearing. It says that the path of faith is the Sirat al-Mustaqim—the straight path. All other paths, apart from it, must be rejected. It has stated with complete clarity, without any complication, that whoever believes in Allah, His Messenger and His Book possesses a radiant lamp by whose help he can walk on the straight path. With this lamp present, there is no fear that he will go astray. He will see the straight path as entirely distinct from the crooked path and will safely and without hindrance reach the destination of prosperity. On the other hand, the person who has no lamp of faith has no light at all. For him, distinguishing between the straight and crooked paths is extremely difficult. Like a blind man, he will move through the darkness, feeling his way forward by guesswork. It may happen that one of his steps accidentally falls upon the straight path, but this is no certain means of walking on it. Rather, he is more likely to stray from the straight path. At times he may fall into a pit, and at other times become caught among thorns.

The Qur’an’s statement concerning the first group is:

{Arabic}

“Therefore, those who have believed in the Messenger, supported and helped him, and followed the light sent down with him—it is they who are truly entitled to success.” — (Surah al-A‘raf: 150)

Elsewhere it is said:

{Arabic}

“O people, fear Allah and believe in His Messenger. He will grant you a double share of His mercy, provide you with a light by which you can walk, and forgive you.”

— (Surah al-Hadid: 28)

And concerning the second group, it is said:

Arabic

“Do you know whom those who call upon partners besides Allah obey? They merely follow conjecture and proceed on the basis of mere guesswork.” — (Surah Yunus: 66)

Arabic

“They merely follow conjecture, and conjecture is such that it does nothing to dispense with the need for truth.” — (Surah An-Najm: 28)

{Arabic}

“Who could be more astray than one who, abandoning the guidance given by Allah, follows his own desires? Allah never guides such wrongdoers to the straight path.” — (Surah Al-Qasas: 50)

{Arabic}

“For whoever Allah has not given light, there is no light.” — (Surah An-Nur: 40)

An explanation of this entire subject is found in Surah al-Baqarah. From it, this truth becomes evident: how great a difference emerges between these two groups of humankind as a result of this difference between faith and disbelief.

Arabic

“There is no compulsion in religion; the path of guidance has been clearly distinguished from error. Then whoever rejects Taghut (satanic forces) and believes in Allah has grasped a firm handhold that will never break. And Allah hears and knows all things. Allah is the protector of the believers; He brings them out of darkness into light. And the protector of the disbelievers is Satan; he brings them out of light into darkness. They are the inhabitants of Hell; they will remain there forever.”

The Priority of Faith over Deeds

Moreover, this distinction between faith and disbelief has also created a distinction in human actions. According to the Qur’an, only a believer can be pious and righteous in conduct. Without faith, no deed can be characterized by piety and integrity—regardless of how much that deed may be regarded as a good work in the eyes of worldly people. The Qur’an says:

Arabic

“Those who bring the truth and those who acknowledge it—only they are the God-conscious.” — (Surah Az-Zumar: 33)

Arabic

“The Qur’an is a guidance for the God-fearing: those who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, spend from the sustenance We have provided them, and believe in the Book revealed to you and in the Books revealed before you, and who have firm faith in the Hereafter.” — (Surah al-Baqarah: 2–4)

Thus, according to the Qur’an, faith is the fundamental basis of taqwa and piety. The good deeds of one who possesses faith become adorned with fruits and flowers, just as trees planted in gardens in good soil and a favorable climate grow fresh and verdant and become laden with fruits and flowers. On the other hand, one who continues to perform deeds without faith is like someone planting a garden in barren, rocky soil and an adverse climate.¹ [1. This subject has been described in the Holy Qur’an with almost this very analogy. See Surah al-Baqarah, Ruku‘ 36.] For this reason, the Holy Qur’an has everywhere given faith precedence over good deeds. Nowhere has it declared good deeds without faith to be a means of salvation and success.² [2. As examples, see al-Baqarah (3–9, 38), al-Nisa’ (24), al-Ma’idah (2), Hud (2), al-Nahl (13), Ta-Ha (3–6), al-Tin and al-‘Asr.] Rather, if you read the Holy Qur’an attentively, you will learn that the object of all the moral instructions and legal ordinances it presents is the people of faith. Such verses either begin with **********, or their manner of expression makes it clear in one way or another that the address is directed only to the believers. As for the disbelievers, they have not been called to good deeds but to faith; and it has been explicitly stated that the deeds of those who are not believers have no value whatsoever—they are futile, meaningless, and destined for complete destruction.

***********

“The example of the deeds of those who disbelieve is like a mirage in a desert. A thirsty person thinks from afar that it is water; but when he reaches it, he finds nothing there.” — (Surah al-Nur: 39)

**********

“Say: Shall We tell you who are the greatest losers in respect of their deeds? They are those whose efforts have been wasted in the life of this world, while they thought that they were doing good. They are the ones who denied the signs of their Lord and did not even acknowledge that they would have to appear before Him. Thus their deeds became worthless. On the Day of Resurrection, We shall assign no weight to their deeds, and they will enter Hell. That is their recompense for having disbelieved and for having mocked My signs and My messengers.” — (Surah al-Kahf: 103–106)

The same subject has been stated in Surah al-Ma’idah (Ruku‘ 1), al-An‘am (10), al-A‘raf (17), al-Tawbah (3), Hud (2), al-Zumar (7), and Muhammad (1). And in Surah al-Tawbah it has been clearly declared that even if a disbeliever appears to perform good deeds, he can never be equal to a believer:

***********

“Do you consider those who provide water to the pilgrims and maintain the Sacred Mosque equal to one who believes in Allah and the Last Day and strives in the way of Allah? They can never be equal in the sight of Allah. And Allah does not guide the wrongdoers. Those who believe, emigrate, and strive in the way of Allah with their lives and wealth are held in the highest regard by Allah. And they are the successful.” —(Surah At-Tawbah: 19–20)

Summary

Several points are established beyond doubt by this discussion and the verses of the Noble Qur’an presented in support of it:

First: Faith is the cornerstone of the Islamic way of life. The entire structure of this system has been built upon it. And the distinction between kufr and Islam rests solely upon the fundamental distinction between faith and unbelief.

Second: Islam’s first demand of people is faith. Only after accepting this demand to establish faith does a person enter within the bounds of Islam. And it is for this reason that all of Islam’s moral regulations and social laws exist. Conversely, the person who rejects this demand stands outside the prescribed bounds of Islam; neither any moral regulation nor any social law applies to him.

Third: In Islam’s view, faith is the fundamental basis of deeds. Only the deed performed on the basis of faith is valuable and important in its view. And where this foundation has no existence at all, all deeds are fruitless and meaningless.

A Question:

Some people cannot appreciate this importance of faith. They say that there is no such mystery in accepting certain intellectual doctrines that, on this basis, the entire human race can be divided into two groups; in our view, the real matter is morality and character, and the distinction between good and evil, truth and falsehood, and right and wrong depends upon these. Whoever possesses elevated morality, a pure nature, and good character, whether or not he accepts those doctrines—that is, the tenets of Islam—we shall call him a good person and include him among the righteous. And for one who lacks these qualities, the doctrinal distinction between faith and kufr is entirely meaningless. Whatever creed or belief he may hold, we shall call him evil. According to them, one further matter remains: the importance and value of deeds depend on faith, and no deed can be regarded as a good deed without faith. In reality, this is a sign of narrow-mindedness. That the moral superiority and good works of one who merely differs from Islam regarding Allah, the Messenger, the Book, or the Day of Judgment should be nullified—this cannot be accepted without any rational proof. If Islam regards a particular creed or belief as true, it may certainly proclaim it, call people toward it, and invite them to believe in it; but how reasonable is it to extend the question of belief into the sphere of morality and deeds, and to make moral superiority, purity of character, and excellence in conduct dependent upon faith?

Apparently, this question is so important that even some Muslims, influenced by it, have become prepared to revise the fundamental principles of Islam. But once the significance of faith and its relationship with nature and character are understood, this objection is resolved of its own accord.

Determining the Truth or Falsehood of the Question

First of all, it is necessary to understand this truth: the difference between good and evil among human beings fundamentally rests on two separate foundations. The first is a person’s innate nature and disposition; its excellence or deficiency is not subject to that person’s own willpower. The second is what one earns, whether good or evil, which in reality depends on the sound or defective use of the intellect and power of thought, as well as of will and ability. These two things are so intermingled in human life in terms of their respective effects that we cannot separate either the two themselves or the spheres of their influence from one another. But as a matter of doctrine, we certainly know this much: these two foundations of excellence and deficiency are separately present in human thought and action. The excellence or deficiency founded on innate nature cannot, in terms of its intrinsic character, acquire any significance by the standard of judgment. Significance can be attached only to that excellence or deficiency which is founded on what one earns.¹ [1. This very point has been stated in the Qur’an. ************ That is, Allah does not hold anyone responsible for any task beyond his capacity. He will receive the benefit of whatever he has earned. He will bear responsibility for whatever he has earned. And innate nature and disposition Allah has granted to each person as He willed. *********** And Allah knows very well how much of a person’s life consists of his innate nature and how much of what he earns. ***********] Whatever efforts are made for education, good counsel, culture, and the like have no connection with the first foundation (that is, innate nature and disposition), because it is impossible to change its excellence into deficiency or its deficiency into excellence. Rather, they are connected with the second foundation (what one earns). Through correct education and proper training, a person can be directed toward excellence, and through faulty education and erroneous training, toward deficiency.

According to this principle, what should be the correct course of action for one who wishes to direct the powers acquired by human beings toward excellence and develop them along that path? It is to acquire accurate knowledge of human beings and, in light of that knowledge, devise for them a method of training capable of molding their morality and character (insofar as these are connected with what they earn) into a good form. In this matter, it is absolutely essential that knowledge take precedence over training. No intelligent person can deny this precedence. For knowledge, or ilm, is the foundation of action; without accurate knowledge, no action can possibly be sound.

Now let us consider knowledge. One kind of knowledge is connected with the details of our practical lives. We learn or teach it in schools and colleges, and it is formed through the combination of countless branches of knowledge, science, and the arts. The second kind is true knowledge; in the terminology of the Qur’an, it is called (******), or the only knowledge. It is connected not with our practical affairs but with “us.” Its subject is: Who are we? What is our status in this world in which we live? Who created us and this world? What is our relationship with that Creator? What can be the correct way for us to live (guidance and the Straight Path), and how can we know it? What is the ultimate destination of our journey through life? In reality, of these two types of knowledge, only the second can claim primacy. All our detailed knowledge is merely a branch of it, and the soundness or unsoundness of our entire way of thinking and all our actions depends on the correctness or error of this knowledge. Therefore, whatever system is devised for human education and culture, its foundation must be laid upon this true knowledge. If the fundamental knowledge is correct and sound, the system of education and culture will also be sound. But if there is any distortion within that knowledge, the entire system of education and culture will become distorted as a result.

The beliefs mentioned in the Qur’an concerning Allah, the angels, the Book, the Messengers, and the Day of Final Judgment are connected with this fundamental knowledge. The reason such emphatic language is used in demanding faith in those beliefs is that Islam’s entire system of culture and education depends wholly upon this fundamental knowledge. From Islam’s point of view, only that system for refining the powers acquired by human beings and organizing culture which is founded exclusively upon sound knowledge is a correct system. Any system established without true knowledge, or not founded upon sound knowledge, is fundamentally erroneous. Through it, the powers acquired by human beings have been directed along a false path. Whatever effort and striving people expend along these paths may outwardly appear as accurate as possible, but in reality their very use is erroneous. Their movement is not directed toward the proper ultimate destination. They can never reach the level of success. That is why they will be destroyed, and people can derive no benefit from them. For this reason, Islam has called its own path

the Straight Path, or the easy and upright path, and has demanded the rejection of every path based on ignorance or erroneous knowledge:

********************************************* And for this reason Islam declares that all the deeds of one whose faith is not sound are futile, and in the end he will remain unsuccessful. *************

The beliefs presented by Islam are, in its view, the only knowledge, the only truth, the only guidance, and the only light. Since this is their nature, the beliefs opposed to them must necessarily be nothing but ignorance, falsehood, misguidance, and darkness. If Islam did not demand that these beliefs be rejected so emphatically, and if it gave the adherents of those erroneous beliefs the same value as those who possess sound faith, then, by implication, it would be admitting that its own beliefs are not the only truth and that it does not itself have complete conviction that they are truth, guidance, and light. In that case, presenting those beliefs, devising a system of education and culture on their basis, and calling people to join that system would become entirely futile. For if it accepted that other forms of knowledge opposed to this ultimate knowledge were equally sound, or that it made no difference even if there were no ultimate knowledge at all, then presenting this ultimate knowledge and calling people to believe in it would become wholly pointless. Likewise, if it accepted that people could attain welfare through a system of education and culture devised on the basis of other forms of knowledge opposed to this ultimate knowledge, or without any ultimate knowledge at all, then calling people to follow the Islamic system would also become completely insignificant.

Moreover, if the earlier discussion concerning the significance of faith is remembered, it will be easy to understand why Islam has placed such great importance on faith. The inhabitants of the world of imagination may build palaces on sand, water, and even air. But Islam is a prudent religion. It cannot build the palace of its education and culture on a flimsy foundation. Rather, it first lays a firm foundation deep within the human soul and intellect.

Upon it, it raises an edifice that cannot be made to lean by anyone’s pushing. First of all, it firmly establishes in the human mind the truth that there is one Allah above you; He is your Judge and Lawgiver everywhere, in this world and the Hereafter, and you can never escape His kingdom and authority. Nothing you say is hidden from Him. He has sent messengers to guide you, and through the messengers He has given you the Book and the Shariah. By following them, you can attain the pleasure of that true Ruler, Judge, and Lawgiver. If you act in opposition to Him, no matter how secretly you commit that opposition, He will surely seize you and will not fail to punish you for it. After deeply imprinting this conviction upon the human heart, it teaches upright nature and noble character. It explains the regulations concerning right and wrong, and through the strength of that imprint of faith it makes people follow its own teachings and obey its regulations. The deeper this imprint, the more complete people’s compliance will be, their obedience will be proportionately stronger, and the system of culture and training will be correspondingly more powerful. But if this imprint is weak and shallow, or does not exist at all, and no other imprint has been made upon the mind in its place, then the entire system of moral education will become utterly meaningless; the regulations of right and wrong will become completely weak and lax; and the whole system of education and culture will turn into a children’s playhouse. Consequently, there is no assurance whatsoever of their establishment or stability in practice. It may be beautiful, spacious, and lofty—but where is its strength or stability? The Qur’an has described this very thing by means of a parable:

**************

“Have you not seen how Allah has set forth the example of a pure word (sound belief)? It is like a good tree: its roots are firmly grounded beneath the earth, while its branches reach up to the sky. It continually bears fruit by the permission of its Lord. Allah sets forth examples for people so that they may take heed. And the example of an impure word (erroneous belief) is like that of a bad tree: it can be uprooted from the surface of the earth. It has no firmness or strength whatsoever. Allah grants firmness to the believers, through a firm word (mature faith), in both the life of this world and the Hereafter, and He leaves the wrongdoers in such a state of misguidance. And Allah does whatever He wills.” — (Surah Ibrahim: 24–27)

So far, the five matters included in faith have been discussed in general terms. We must now examine in detail what beliefs Islam presents concerning each of them; what the need and rationale of each belief are; what effect it has on human thought; and how, after taking firm root in people’s minds and hearts, it forms and shapes an upright and steadfast character.

3. Faith in Allah

The Importance of Faith in Allah

The first and fundamental element in Islam’s comprehensive system of beliefs and conduct is faith in Allah. All the other aspects and branches of belief and faith are merely branches of that one central trunk. All of Islam’s moral injunctions and social laws derive their strength from this central point. The source and ultimate destination of everything here is the Being of Allah. The reason for believing in the angels is that they are Allah’s angels. The reason for believing in the prophets is that they were sent by Allah. The reason for believing in the Day of Resurrection is that it is the day appointed by Allah for judgment and reckoning. The obligatory duties are obligatory because Allah has prescribed them. Mutual rights are called rights because they depend on Allah’s command. Enjoining good and preventing wrongdoing are necessary because Allah has commanded them. In short, everything in Islam, whether belief or conduct, is founded upon this faith in Allah. If this one thing is severed, the angels and the Day of Resurrection lose all significance. The prophets, messengers, and the Books they brought become unworthy of obedience. Obligatory duties, necessities, obedience, rights, and so forth lose their meaning. Commands, prohibitions, and regulations retain no binding force. In short, as soon as this one central point is removed, Islam’s entire system collapses into ruin; indeed, nothing called Islam remains.

The Comprehensive Concept of Faith in Allah

The belief that serves as the central point and source of strength in this vast ideological and practical system is not merely the statement, “Allah exists.” Rather, it also embraces within itself a complete and accurate conception of Allah’s attributes—to the extent that it is possible for human beings to conceive of Him—and from this conception of His attributes is derived a power that permeates and exercises authority over the whole range of human ideological and practical powers. Mere acknowledgment of the Creator’s existence is not something that can be called a distinctive feature of Islam. Other nations, too, have acknowledged the existence of a Creator in one form or another. In reality, what has given Islam superiority over all religions and ways of life is that it has presented an accurate, complete, and comprehensive conception of the Creator’s attributes. Moreover, by making that knowledge the basis of faith—indeed, the foundation of faith—and using it to accomplish such great works in self-purification, moral reform, the organization of action, the promotion of good, the prevention of wrongdoing, and the establishment of civilization, it has achieved what no religion or nation in the world has been able to achieve.

The concise form of faith in Allah—whose verbal confession and sincere belief have been declared the initial and essential condition for entering Islam—is the kalimah, “La ilaha illallah.” That is, to acknowledge it with the tongue and believe it in the heart: there is no deity except the august Being known as Allah. In other words, its meaning is that divinity must be separated from all the things in the universe and assigned exclusively to one Being; and all the emotions, feelings, meditations, ideas, thoughts, beliefs, worship, and obedience associated with divinity must be directed toward that one Being. This concise kalimah has three essential components:

First: the concept of lordship.

Second: its denial with respect to all created things.

Third: its affirmation for Allah alone.

In fact, everything that has been said in the Noble Qur’an about the Being of Allah and His attributes is merely an elaboration of these three matters.

First, it has presented such a complete and accurate conception of “divinity” (*****) as we find in no book or religion in the world. It is certainly true that this conception exists in some form among all nations and communities. But everywhere it is erroneous or incomplete. In some places, “divinity” (*****) has been understood as the beginning; elsewhere, it has been taken merely in the sense of origination. In some places, it is regarded as the supporter of strength and power; elsewhere, it remains merely an object of fear and dread. In some places, it is only the center of love; elsewhere, it means merely fulfilling needs and answering prayers. In some places, it has been defiled with idols and images. Some hold that He resides in heaven, while others say that He descends into the world in human form. All these erroneous and incomplete conceptions have been purified and perfected only by the Holy Qur’an, the Great Book. This sacred Scripture has granted divinity (******) purity and majesty. It has taught us that only such a Being can be an “ilah” or Lord who is free of all need, independent of others, self-sufficient and Ever-Living; who has existed forever and will remain forever; who is the sole sovereign and the Supreme in power; whose knowledge encompasses everything; whose mercy and grace extend to all; whose power prevails over all; whose wisdom and intelligence are free of every flaw; whose justice and equity bear not even the trace of oppression; who gives life and supplies the means necessary for sustaining life; who possesses all powers of good and evil, benefit and harm; upon whose grace and protection everyone depends; to whom all created things return; who takes account of everyone; and who alone possesses authority to bestow punishment and reward. Moreover, these attributes of divinity are neither divisible nor partitionable, such that there could be multiple gods (*****) at the same time, each possessing all or some of the mentioned attributes. Nor are they temporary or time-bound, such that one god would possess them at one time but not at another; nor are they transferable, such that today they would be found in one god and tomorrow in another.

After presenting this complete and pure conception of divinity, the Qur’an, through its inimitable mode of expression, has proved that this meaning cannot properly be applied to any one of all the objects and forces in the universe. For all created things in the world are dependent on others, subject to others, and destined for destruction and extinction. Far from being able to benefit or harm others, they are not even capable of removing harm from themselves. The source of their actions and effects and reactions does not lie within their own essence; rather, they all obtain life-force, capacity for action, and power of influence from elsewhere. Therefore, there is nothing in the universe that possesses even the slightest qualification for lordship or that has the right to receive even the smallest share of our servitude and obedience.

After this denial, it specifies divinity for one Being alone, whose name is “Allah.” At the same time, it demands of humanity: Rejecting everyone else, believe only in Him; bow before Him alone; honor Him alone; love Him alone; fear Him alone; place your hopes in Him alone; ask of Him alone; rely upon Him alone in every condition; always keep in mind that one day you must return to Him and give an account before Him; and that your good or evil outcome depends upon His judgment.

Moral Benefits of Belief in Allah

The belief in Allah that becomes firmly rooted in the human heart alongside this broad conception of the attributes of divinity contains such extraordinary benefits as cannot be attained through any other belief or conviction.

Expansiveness of Vision

The first benefit of belief in Allah is that it broadens a person’s outlook as widely as Allah’s infinite kingdom. As long as a person looks at the world with his own interests in mind, his vision remains confined within a narrow sphere in which his strength, power, knowledge, intellect, and desires are limited; within this sphere he seeks those who can fulfill his needs. Within this sphere, he is afraid and intimidated by the powerful, while he exercises authority over the weak and feeble. Within this sphere, his friendship and enmity, affection and hatred, honor and contempt remain limited, and he has no standard for them other than personal interest. But after believing in Allah, his vision transcends the limits of his immediate surroundings and expands across the entire universe. He then looks upon the universe not from the perspective of his own interests, but from the perspective of the Most Noble Lord. Now a different kind of relationship is established between him and every object in this vast world. He no longer sees in them anyone who fulfills needs, anyone powerful, anyone harmful, or anyone beneficial. He no longer finds anyone worthy of honor or contempt, fear or hope. His friendship or enmity, affection or hatred, is no longer determined for his own sake, but for Allah’s sake. He observes that the Allah whom I acknowledge is not merely the Creator and Sustainer of me, my family, or my countrymen; rather, He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth and the Sustainer of all the worlds. His authority and dominion are not limited to my country; rather, He is the King of the heavens and the earth and the Sustainer of all creation. I am not the only one engaged in His worship and service; rather, all things in the heavens and the earth have surrendered themselves before Him. ************* (**********)********** All are occupied in praising Him, declaring His holiness, and proclaiming His glory. **********************(********)******* In this context, when he looks upon the universe, nothing remains hidden from his sight; everything comes of its own accord into view before him. His compassion, His love, and His service are not confined within any sphere whose limits have been determined by the context of his personal relationships.

Therefore, a person who believes in Allah can never have a narrow outlook. His vision is so broad that even the term “internationalism” (Internationalism) is narrow in his case. He should rather be called universal in outlook and creation-oriented.

Self-Respect

Moreover, this very faith in Allah rescues a person from abasement and elevates him to the highest level of honor and self-respect. As long as he did not know Allah, he bowed his head before every powerful thing in the world, every beneficial or harmful object, and every magnificent, gigantic thing. He was afraid of them. He extended his hands before them. He looked to them for prayers and hopes. But when he came to know Allah, he learned that those before whom he had been extending his hands were themselves dependent on others and needy(************)-**************; those whose worship and obedience he had been offering were themselves mere slaves upon slaves, just like him. :***********

Those from whom he expected help were incapable of helping even themselves, let alone helping him. *************(*********)-*********** For the possessor of true power is Allah. (************)-*************** He alone is the ruler, lawgiver, and commander. (*************)-************** Apart from Him, there is no helper, patron, or supporter. *********** Help comes from Him alone.

****(************)-************ He alone is the Provider. (**************)-**************** The keys of the heavens and the earth are in His hand. *************(*********)-***** He alone gives death and gives life; without His permission, no one can kill anyone or save anyone. *************

The real power to cause benefit or harm is under His control. *************

After acquiring such knowledge, he becomes independent, unconcerned, and fearless of all the forces of the world. He bows his head before no power except Allah. He extends his hands before no one except Allah. No one’s superiority or greatness besides Allah finds a place in his heart. He prays to and places his hopes in no one except Allah.

Humility and Gentleness

But this self-respect is not a false self-respect acquired through his strength, wealth, qualifications, or talent. Nor is this self-respect the kind that arises in a misguided person because of pride and arrogance. Rather, it is the result of properly understanding one’s relationship with Allah and with the entire created world. For this reason, among those who believe in Allah, an inseparable relationship develops between self-respect and humility, and between honor and gentleness and tenderness. He knows that before Allah’s power and might, I am utterly helpless. *********** Neither I nor any other being is capable of stepping outside Allah’s authority. ************** What am I, after all? The entire universe is dependent upon Allah, while Allah is self-sufficient and independent of all need. *********** Whatever is in the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah. *********** And whatever blessings and wealth I have received, I have received from Allah alone. After such a conviction, where can pride and arrogance remain? The inevitable fruit of faith in Allah is precisely that it makes a person humble from head to foot.

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“The special servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk humbly upon the earth, and when the ignorant address them with ignorant words, they pass by peacefully.” — (Surah al-Furqan: 63)

The Elimination of False Expectations

Another benefit of having a correct understanding of the relationship between the Creator and creation is that all false expectations and misplaced reliance arising from ignorance come to an end. At the same time, a person comes to understand very clearly that there is no path to salvation and well-being for him other than sound faith and righteous deeds. On the contrary, some of those deprived of this understanding think that many lesser gods share in Allah’s affairs; we will flatter them and have them intercede for us. ************ Some think that Allah has a son, and that this son has secured our right to salvation by making atonement for us. Some think that we ourselves are Allah’s children and His beloved ones. ************ Whatever we may do, we cannot be punished.

Many such false expectations continually ensnare people in sin and a cycle of wrongdoing. Relying on these notions, they become indifferent to purifying themselves and reforming their actions. But the faith in Allah taught by the Qur’an leaves no room for false expectations. It says that no nation or community has any special relationship with Allah. Everyone is His creation, and He is the Creator of all. *********** Whatever greatness and distinction exist depend upon ‘taqwa.’ **************** Allah has neither a son nor any partner or helper. ***************** Those whom you regard as His children or partners are all His servants and slaves. (Arabic*****) No one dares to intercede without His permission. (Arabic*****) If you disobey, no intercessor or helper can save you from His grasp. (Arabic*****)

Hope and Mental Peace

Along with this, faith in Allah creates such a hopeful attitude in a person that it is never overcome by despair and discouragement under any circumstances. In fact, for a believer, faith is an inexhaustible storehouse of hope and aspiration, from which he continually receives an everlasting and uninterrupted supply of inner strength and spiritual tranquility. Even if all the doors of the world are closed to him, he is deprived of all its resources and means, and those means leave him one by one, the support of Allah alone never abandons him. Relying upon Him, he remains constantly inspired by hope and aspiration. The reason is that Allah, in whom he has believed, has said: I am very near to you; I hear your calls. (Arabic*****) Do not fear injustice from Me, for I am not unjust. (Arabic*****) Rather, hope for My mercy, for My mercy encompasses everything. (Arabic*****) Only one who does not believe in Me despairs of My mercy. (Arabic*****) On the other hand, there is no place for despair in the case of a believer. If he commits a sin, let him ask Me for forgiveness, and I will forgive him. (Arabic*****) Elsewhere: (Arabic*****) If the worldly means and resources do not assist him, let him abandon reliance upon them and cling to Me; thereafter, fear, terror and apprehension will not even approach him. My remembrance is (Arabic*****) something by which human hearts attain stability and peace. (Arabic*****)

Patience, Steadfastness and Reliance (Arabic*****)

Moreover, this hope develops and rises to the lofty heights of patience, steadfastness, and reliance upon Allah, where the believer’s heart becomes firm and unshakable like hard rocky ground. The dangers, hostilities, sorrows, hardships, losses, and opposing forces of the entire world, even when united, cannot make him waver from his position. A person can attain this strength in no way other than through faith in Allah. For one who does not believe in Allah relies on material or imaginary means and instruments that possess no real power at all. A person who relies on these is, in effect, taking a spider’s web as his support. (Arabic*****) One whose life depends upon such a frail support is bound to become weak. (Arabic*****) But one who relies upon Allah and clings firmly to Him has a support so strong that it can never be shattered. (Arabic*****) With him is the invincible power of the Lord of the Worlds; what power can prevail over it? Even if all the calamities and misfortunes of the universe were to unite against him, they could not dislodge him from his patience, steadfastness, resolve, and firmness. For, in his view, everything good and bad comes from Allah. (Arabic*****) Whatever calamity or misfortune comes does so according to Allah’s decree, and no one besides Allah can delay it. (Arabic*****)

The superhuman strength with which the Prophets faced terrible dangers in the world, fought single-handedly against great empires and powerful nations, advanced with the determination to conquer the world without worldly equipment, and continued their mission even amid the fierce storms of adversity was the strength of sabr and tawakkul—that is, patience, steadfastness, and reliance. As an example, consider the life of Ibrahim (peace be upon him). He debated with the tyrannical ruler of his country, fearlessly leapt into the fire, and ultimately left his homeland without any means or support, saying (Arabic******). Likewise, consider the life of Hud (peace be upon him). See how he challenged the tremendous power of the people of ‘Ad:

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“All of you, devise your plots against me and give me no respite at all. I have placed my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord. There is no creature whose forelock is not in His grasp. —(Surah Hud: 55–56)”

Likewise, consider the life story of Moses (peace be upon him). Relying solely upon Allah, he confronted Pharaoh’s formidable power. When Pharaoh threatened to kill him, he replied: “I have sought the protection of Him who is the Lord of both me and you against every arrogant one.” (Arabic******) When they were leaving Egypt, Pharaoh pursued him with all his forces. His timid people became frightened and said that the enemies had surrounded them. (Arabic*****) But he replied with profound mental tranquility: “Not at all; Allah is with me. He will guide me to the path of peace and security.” (Arabic*******) Finally, consider the Prophet Arabic (peace be upon him). At the time of the Hijrah, he took refuge in a mountain cave. Only one companion was with him. The bloodthirsty unbelievers came right up to the mouth of the cave. Yet even then, no agitation appeared in him. Rather, he said to his companion: (Arabic******) “Do not be afraid at all; Allah is with us.” By what other means could such invincible strength, such an iron-hard resolve, and such mountain-like steadfastness be attained except through faith in Allah?

Courage

Another quality of a similar kind is produced to an extraordinary degree by faith in Allah: courage, fearlessness, heroism, and valor. Two things make a person timid and cowardly. The first is love for one’s own life, family and relatives, and wealth. The second is fear, which arises from the mistaken belief that the objects used as weapons themselves possess the power to cause injury and destruction. Faith in Allah removes both of these things from a person’s heart. The belief that Allah is more entitled than anyone else to receive love flows through every vein and artery of the believer. (Arabic********) It becomes firmly rooted in his mind that wealth and children are merely the adornments of this world; their destruction is inevitable at some time or another. That which comes from Allah is everlasting and imperishable, never to be destroyed. (Arabic*******) The life of this world lasts only a few days; even if we make countless efforts to preserve it, death will certainly come one day. (Arabic********)

Therefore, why should we not devote this transient life to that joyful and blissful life which will be obtained from Allah? (Arabic******)

Shall we not devote the fleeting pleasures and temporary interests of this world to gaining the pleasure of that Allah who is the true Owner of our lives and possessions—who is capable of granting, in exchange, a better life and even greater good?

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Next comes the matter of fear. The believer has been taught that the true power to cause harm and destruction does not lie in people, animals, ammunition, swords, wood, or stones; rather, it lies in the grasp of Allah’s absolute power. Even if all the forces of the world were to unite and seek to harm someone, if Allah does not permit it, not even a hair of that person can be harmed. (Arabic*****) No one can die before the time of death that Allah has appointed. ***** And when the appointed time of death does arrive, it cannot be delayed by anyone’s excuse. (Arabic*****) Therefore, since this is the reality, one should fear Allah rather than fearing people. (Arabic****) Indeed, He alone is the Being whom it is obligatory to fear. (Arabic****) Hesitating to strive in the path of Allah is the conduct of those who have no faith in their hearts, for they fear people more than they fear Allah. (Arabic***) Otherwise, a person who is a true believer, instead of becoming frightened upon seeing the enemy, becomes even more courageous and fearless, because he relies not on any worldly power but on Allah. It is said in Surah Aal-e-Imran: (Arabic****)

Contentment with Little and Self-Satisfaction

This faith in Allah removes from the human heart the vile tendencies of greed, covetousness, envy, and hatred, which urge a person to adopt base and unlawful means to secure personal interests and thereby bring calamity upon human society. Faith gives a person contentment with little and inner satisfaction. He does not compete or rival others. He never acts hastily in redressing oppression and injustice. He continually seeks the bounty and blessings of his Lord through honorable means; and whatever he receives, whether much or little, he accepts with reverence as a gift from Allah. The believer has been taught that supremacy and authority rest in the hands of Allah; He grants them to whomsoever He wills. (Arabic************************) Sustenance rests in the hands of Allah; He grants it to whomever He wills, in whatever measure He wills. (Arabic************) State power and governing authority are under the control of Allah Almighty; He appoints whomever He wills as a ruler. (Arabic***********) Wealth and honor rest in His hands; He honors whomever He wills and disgraces whomever He wills. (Arabic************) Furthermore, the arrangement by which some people receive more and others less of the world’s honor, wealth, power, beauty, fame, and other blessings is determined by Allah Himself. Allah alone knows best the propriety and wisdom of His actions. It is neither proper for human beings to attempt to change the arrangement He has ordained, nor is there any possibility of success in doing so. (Arabic*************)

Reformation of Morality and Discipline in Conduct

Social life benefits most greatly from faith in Allah. Through it, a sense of responsibility is awakened among members of society. Purity arises in their souls and piety in their deeds. Their mutual dealings become sound and refined; a consciousness of obedience to the law is awakened; the capacity for obedience, restraint, and discipline develops; and, inwardly purified by a tremendous unseen force, people become fit to build a righteous and cohesive society. In reality, this is the miraculous power (miracle) of faith in Allah, and this is precisely why it has been ordained. No worldly power, education, or preaching and admonition can accomplish the task of reforming morality and establishing discipline in conduct so extensively and on so deep a foundation. The reach of worldly powers does not extend to the soul, but only to the body; and even over the body their control is neither universal nor constant. The influence of education and preaching and admonition is also confined to reason and intellect; it does not itself remain free from their influence, and it does not fail to overcome and cloud reason and intellect as well. Faith is something that, with all its reformative and organizing forces, reaches the deepest regions of the human heart and soul. There it brings forth a strong and conscious conscience that continually and everywhere guides a person along the straightforward path of God-consciousness and obedience. Even in the midst of utterly evil impulses, it never fails to exert some influence through its reproach and rebuke.

This extraordinary benefit is attained solely through conviction regarding Allah’s power, which is an indispensable part of faith. In various places, the Holy Quran has warned people that Allah’s knowledge encompasses all things and that nothing can remain hidden from Him.

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The East and the West all belong to Allah; wherever you turn your face, Allah is present. Indeed, Allah is All-Encompassing and All-Knowing.

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”Wherever you may be, Allah will summon you all; indeed, Allah has power over all things.”

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Indeed, nothing in the heavens and the earth is hidden from Allah. — (Surah Al Imran: 5)

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“With Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. He knows whatever is in the land and sea. Not even a leaf falls without His knowledge. Nor is there a grain in the darkest darkness of the earth, nor anything dry or moist, that is not recorded in a clear Book.” — (Surah Al An’am: 59)

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“We created man, and We know what his soul whispers within him. We are closer to him than his jugular vein.” —(Surah Qaf: 16)

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“There is no secret conversation among three except that He is the fourth of them, nor among five except that He is the sixth of them. Likewise, there are no fewer or more than that without Him being with them, wherever they may be.” —(Surah Al-Mujadilah: 7)

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“They may conceal themselves from people, but they cannot conceal themselves from Allah, for He is with them when they hold nighttime conversations contrary to His pleasure. And Allah encompasses all that they do.” —(Surah An-Nisa: 108)

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“Do they not know that Allah knows whatever they do, secretly and openly?” —(Surah Al-Baqarah: 77)

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“Two recording angels sit on the right and left of every person, keeping watch; no word comes out of his mouth without a watchful recorder being ready to record it.” — (Surah Qaf: 17–18)

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“Whether any of you speaks secretly or aloud, hides in the darkness of night or moves about in the daylight, there are watchers appointed before him and behind him, observing his movements by Allah’s command.” — (Surah ar-Ra‘d: 10–11)

At the same time, this conviction has been deeply implanted in the human mind: one day he must certainly appear before Allah (Arabic***********) and give an account of everything. (Arabic*****************) Allah Almighty’s retribution is extremely severe. (Arabic**************)

This conviction, which has been impressed upon the human mind in various ways, is in fact the effective force of Islam’s entire legal system. The limits Islam has prescribed between haram and halal, and the rules it has laid down concerning morality, social conduct, and mutual dealings, do not actually depend for their enforcement on soldiers, police, education, or good counsel. Rather, they derive their effective force from the conviction that their regulator is a mighty sovereign whose knowledge and power encompass every object. Whoever disobeys His commands can neither conceal his crime nor protect himself in any way from His questioning. That is why, in various places in the Qur’an, after mentioning commandments and directives, this warning has been given: These are the limits prescribed by Allah; beware, do not transgress them. (Arabic***************) Remember that whatever you do, Allah sees it all. (Arabic************)

4. Faith in the Angels

The Purpose of Faith in the Angels

Faith in the angels is, in reality, the perfection of faith in Allah and merely its necessary corollary. Its purpose is not merely to acknowledge the existence of the angels; rather, the true objective is to understand their proper place in the cosmic order, so that faith in Allah may be founded upon pure Tawhid and freed from every admixture of shirk and worship of anyone besides Allah.

As stated earlier, some general conception of the angels exists in one form or another among all peoples and religions. Various religions have built different structures of belief upon that conception. According to some, the angels are children of nature and forces of nature that administer the various branches of the cosmic order. Some conceive of them as gods, each of whom presides over one department of the world-factory: one is lord of the wind, another of the rain, another of light, another of heat, and another of fire. Some believe that they are Allah’s representatives and helpers. In the view of some, they are the possessors of diversity; according to others, they are mere consciousness; some hold that they are merely figments of Allah’s imagination. Still others consider them to be the children of Allah.

Again, some believe that they possess material bodies. Some regard them as abstract and bodiless. Some have identified them with luminous stars and moving celestial bodies. Still others have formed other extraordinary conceptions about them. In short, among the founders of religions, the general belief regarding the angels has been that they are, in one way or another, partners in Allah’s divinity. For this reason, prayers have been offered to them; they have been called fulfillers of needs, hearers of complaints, and intercessors. And for this reason, the dominance of shirk in the world has been so powerful.

The Place of the Angels in the Cosmic Order: On the one hand, the Qur’an has established pure and complete Tawhid concerning Allah’s existence, attributes, and acts; on the other, to close the door of shirk forever, it has presented a correct and sound conception of the angels. The Qur’an has not discussed the mysteries of the angels, because such a discussion is utterly irrelevant and contains no substance whatsoever. It offers no benefit to human beings, nor are human beings capable of understanding it. The real question in this matter was the place occupied by the angels in the cosmic order. The Noble Qur’an has given an extremely clear answer to this question. It states that the angels are not the children of Allah, nor are they partners in His work; rather, they are merely His servants and slaves.

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“The disbelievers said: ‘The Most Merciful has taken someone as a son.’ Glory be to Him. They (the angels) are only His honored servants; they cannot even speak before Him without permission. They do only what He commands. He knows all that is before them and all that is behind them. They cannot intercede on behalf of anyone except those with whom Allah is pleased.” —(Surah Al-Anbiya: 26–28)

They are administrators or executive officers (Arabic*******). That is, they only manage the tasks that Allah entrusts to them. Far from being partners in divinity, they do not even possess enough power among themselves to move a single thing. Their work is only to worship, serve, and obey. They never refrain for even a moment from prayer and reciting their litanies; rather, every moment of theirs is spent praising and glorifying their own Lord.

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“The lightning glorifies Him with praise, and the angels glorify Him in awe. (Surah al-Ra‘d: 13)”

“Everything in the heavens and every creature moving upon the earth prostrates itself before Allah. And the angels do not rebel or disobey; they fear their Glorious Lord and carry out whatever they are commanded.” —(Surah al-Nahl: 49–50)

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“Whatever is in the heavens and on earth, and whatever is with Him, belongs to Him. They (the angels) do not disdain His

worship, nor do they grow weary; rather, day and night they remain engaged in praising Him and never show any slackness.” —(Surah al-Anbiya: 19–20)

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“They never disobey what Allah has commanded them; they only carry out whatever they are ordered to do.”

There is no room for shirk in this conception. For those of whom one might have imagined divinity have been shown to be submissive and obedient servants just like us. Then who besides Allah can be the focal point of our worship and devotion, submission and obedience, pleas for help and reliance?

The Relative Status of Human Beings and Angels: This is not the end of the matter. The Noble Qur’an goes further and also explains the comparative status of human beings and angels, so that people may properly understand their own status in relation to them. This matter too has been clearly stated wherever the creation of Adam is mentioned in the Word of Allah. When Allah the Exalted bestowed upon the primordial human, Adam (A.S.), the status of His vicegerent, He commanded the angels to prostrate before him, and all of them prostrated before him except Iblis. (Al-Baqarah: 4; Al-A‘raf: 2; Bani Isra’il: 7; Al-Kahf: 7; Ta-Ha: 7; Sad: 5) On the basis of their glorification and declarations of purity, the angels claimed superiority over Adam (A.S.). Allah the Exalted rejected their claim and proved through a test that He had granted Adam (A.S.) more knowledge than them. Iblis, declaring the material of his creation to be the measure of superiority, refused to acknowledge the exalted status of Adam (A.S.) and to bow in prostration before him. Consequently, he was expelled forever from Allah’s presence and led astray.

On the one hand, this awakens a sense of self-respect in human beings; on the other, it directs all their desire for worship toward the center of devotion to Allah. This proves that, in the universe, no one is superior to human beings except Allah the Exalted. Although the angels are honored servants and possess superiority over other created things, they too bowed in prostration before human beings. Therefore, who besides the All-Wise Allah—worthy of human worship and prostration, the One who helps them and hears their prayers—can there be?

Thus, when faith in the angels is established upon sound divine knowledge and wisdom, faith in Allah also becomes completely sincere, unalloyed, and pure.

The Second Purpose of Belief in the Angels

The Noble Qur’an mentions another distinction of the angels. It is that Allah the Exalted sends His message and laws to the prophets through them. He also ensures through them that this message reaches the prophets, remaining pure from every kind of adulteration, doubt, and conjecture. First, these angels themselves are obedient and possess righteous dispositions. They are free and pure from every evil inclination and selfishness. They fear Allah and are unwaveringly obedient to His command. For this reason, they make no addition to or reduction from the message conveyed through them. Second, they are so powerful that no satanic force can interfere even to the slightest degree in the delivery and supervision of this message. This matter is also stated in various places in the Noble Qur’an:

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“It is set down in honored, exalted, and purified scriptures, written by highly respected and righteous scribes.” —(Surah Abasa: 13–16)

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“Indeed, this is the account of a noble angel, mighty in power, held in high esteem by the Lord of the Throne, obedient and trustworthy.”

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“He (Allah) is the Knower of the unseen. He does not disclose His unseen to anyone—except to a Messenger whom He chooses. Then He appoints guardian angels around him, so that it may be established that the bearers of the message have conveyed the messages of their Lord faithfully. And Allah encompasses them and keeps count of everything.” —(Surah Al-Jinn: 26–28)

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“The Holy Spirit has brought it down from your Lord in truth.” —(Surah An-Nahl: 102)

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“Indeed, this is a Book revealed by the Lord of the Worlds, which the Trustworthy Spirit has brought down.” —(Surah Ash-Shu‘ara: 192–193)

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“Indeed, this is a noble Qur’an, inscribed in a hidden record. None may touch it except the purified (angels). It has been revealed from the Lord of the worlds.” —(Surah al-Waqi‘ah: 77–80)

From this it became known that faith in the angels is necessary not only for faith in Allah, but also for faith in the Book and faith in the Messenger. In short, having faith in the angels means that we must acknowledge as trustworthy and reliable the medium through which Allah’s message reaches the Messenger. Faith in that message and in the Prophets who conveyed it cannot be complete until we place complete faith in the medium that establishes the link between Allah and His Prophets.

The Third Objective

In addition, another status of the angels has been described in the Noble Qur’an. It is that they are officials of Allah Almighty’s kingdom. These angels are the officials through whom Allah Almighty administers the entire natural world. The status they hold in Allah’s kingdom is exactly like the status of government services in the states of this world. Through them He sends punishment upon some and mercy upon others. He takes some people’s lives and grants life to others. In some places He causes rain to fall, and in others He brings famine. They continually record every person’s actions, words, and even thoughts and ideas, and observe every activity. As long as a person is acting within the respite granted by Allah, these officials, despite being aware of all his good and evil deeds, continue to cooperate with him by Allah’s command and carry out all his affairs. But as soon as his term of office ends, the machinery of his caliphate is brought to a halt. The wind by whose force people once lived suddenly devastates their settlements. The water by which people sustain life suddenly drowns them. The earth on which people live peacefully, as in their mother’s lap, suddenly destroys them with a single tremor. There is only a moment’s delay in the command; as soon as it arrives, the caliph’s nearest attendant immediately puts handcuffs on him. This picture has been drawn very vividly in various places in the Noble Qur’an.

From this perspective, faith in the angels is an essential part of faith in Allah. This means that, along with acknowledging the Sovereign of the universe, people must also acknowledge His officials. Otherwise, a person can neither properly understand his own status (position) in this vast kingdom nor act while remaining fully conscious of that status.

5.

Faith in the Messenger

The Significance of Prophethood

After Tawhid, the second fundamental belief of Islam is “Prophethood” (Risalat). Just as Tawhid is the true deen in matters of conviction, so Prophethood is the true deen in matters of obedience. The literal meaning of Prophethood (Risalat) is prophethood or messengerhood. A person who conveys one person’s message to another is called a nabi (rasul), or bearer of a message. In Islamic terminology, however, a nabi is one who conveys Allah’s message to His servants and guides them to the right path according to Allah’s command. For this reason, the word “guide” is also used in the Qur’an for a nabi or rasul. In other words, he does not merely convey the message; he also guides people along the easy and straight path.

Allah has appointed a guide within the human heart itself. In the light of divine inspiration, it distinguishes between good and evil ideas and between erroneous and correct courses of action, and shows people the straight path in thought and action. As it has been said:

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“By the human soul and Him who proportioned it, then inspired it with its wickedness and its piety. Successful indeed is he who purifies it, and failed indeed is he who corrupts it.” —(Surah Ash-Shams: 7–10)

But since the guidance of this guide is not clear, and since many other mental and external forces have become associated with it in order to attract people toward evil deeds, its solitary guidance cannot be sufficient for human beings to find the straight path of truth among the countless crooked paths of the world and to proceed along it fearlessly. For this reason, Allah the Exalted has fulfilled this need from outside. He has sent His prophets to humanity so that, in the light of divine knowledge and wisdom, they may assist this inner guide. They make the light of the indistinct natural inspiration—rendered faint under the pressure of ignorance and misleading forces—clear with the help of luminous signs.

This is the true basis of the distinction of prophethood. Allah the Exalted has granted those who have been invested with this distinction extraordinary knowledge and insight. With its help, they have understood the significance of matters about which ordinary people disagree, not on the basis of guesswork, conjecture, or imagination, but on the basis of certain knowledge. Moreover, with the help of this insight, they have accurately recognized the straight and clear path of truth among the crooked paths of the world.

The Difference Between Prophets and Ordinary Leaders

People have acknowledged the necessity of external leadership in every age. No one has ever claimed that the guidance of a person’s inner guide alone is sufficient for human beings. Distinguished members of families, lineages, tribes, and nations; learned teachers and scholars; religious leaders; political leaders; social reformers; and other such people whose intelligence was considered reliable were frequently accorded the status of guides and were followed. But what distinguishes a prophet from other leaders is ‘divine knowledge.’ Other leaders do not possess divine knowledge. They form opinions and make decisions solely on the basis of guesswork, conjecture, and imagination. The desires of their own inclinations also become mixed into these opinions and decisions. That is why the beliefs and laws they formulate contain a mixture of both truth and falsehood. The systems they prescribe are never wholly true. It is toward this profound truth that the Qur’an has repeatedly issued warnings:

(Arabic**********) “What they follow is nothing but mere conjecture and the desires of their lower selves.” —(Surah An-Najm: 23)

“They possess no true knowledge; they merely follow conjecture and speculation. And the state of conjecture is such that it in no way fulfills the requirements of truth.” —(Surah An-Najm: 28)

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“But the wrongdoers followed the desires of their lower selves without any knowledge.” —(Surah Ar-Rum: 29)

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“Among the people is one who turns away in arrogance and argues about Allah without any knowledge, guidance, or an illuminating Book, in order to lead people astray from the path of Allah.” —(Surah Al-Hajj: 8–9)

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“And who is more astray than one who follows his own desires instead of the guidance that has come from Allah?”

On the other hand, a prophet or messenger is granted “knowledge” by Allah. His leadership is not driven by conjecture or the lusts of desire; rather, in the light of the knowledge given by Allah, he guides people toward the straight path that he sees clearly and distinctly. Therefore, wherever the Qur’an mentions the prophets being invested with the dignity of “prophethood” (messengership), it also states that they were granted “knowledge.” For example, Abraham’s declaration of prophethood was made as follows:

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“Dear father! Believe me, knowledge has come to me that has not come to you. So follow me, and I will guide you along the straight path.” –(Surah Maryam: 43)

The granting of prophethood to Lot (peace be upon him) is mentioned as follows:

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“We granted Lot sound judgment and knowledge.” — (Surah Al-Anbiya: 74)

It is narrated concerning Moses (peace be upon him):

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“When he reached full maturity and became a fully developed man, We granted him sound judgment and knowledge.” –(Surah al-Qasas: 2)

The granting of prophethood to David (peace be upon him) and Solomon (peace be upon him) is also mentioned in the same way:

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“We granted each of them wisdom and knowledge.”

The final Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him), was told:

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“If you follow their desires even after knowledge has come to you, you will have no protector or helper against Allah.” –(Surah al-Baqarah: 120)

The Status of Prophethood: Having highlighted the superiority and distinctive qualities of prophets in comparison with ordinary leaders, we should now turn our attention to the fundamental principles presented by the Qur’an concerning prophethood.

The Relationship Between Faith in Allah and Faith in the Prophet

The first point is that since the Prophet possesses an extraordinary means of knowledge and has been granted exceptional insight by Allah, only the belief presented by him concerning Allah can be correct. If a person determines a belief on the basis of his own thoughts or those of other scientists and philosophers, then not only will his conviction concerning Allah fail to be correct, but no true knowledge can be attained regarding the fundamental matters of the religion or supernatural matters that lie beyond the limits of ordinary human reasoning and intellect. In short, the soundness of faith and conviction depends entirely upon faith in the Prophet. It is utterly impossible to fill the vessel of thought with correct knowledge while severing this connection. That is why the Holy Qur’an has placed tremendous emphasis on faith in the Prophet in various places. It says:

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“How many towns have We subjected to a severe reckoning because they disobeyed the command of their Lord and His messengers. And We inflicted great punishments upon them; thus they tasted the consequences of their deeds. In the end, their outcome was disastrous.” – (Surah At-Talaq: 8–9)

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“Indeed, those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messenger, and seek to create a distinction between Allah and His messengers, saying, ‘We believe in some and reject others,’ and wishing to adopt a path between them—they are truly disbelievers. And We have prepared a humiliating punishment for the disbelievers. But those who believe in Allah and His messengers and do not differentiate between any of them—Allah will soon grant them their rewards. Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.” – (Surah An-Nisa: 150–152)

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“Whoever disputes with the Messenger even after guidance has become clear to him, and follows a path other than that of the believers, We will turn him to the path he has chosen for himself, and ultimately admit him to Hell; and it is an evil destination.” – (Surah An-Nisa: 115)

It has been stated with utmost clarity in numerous verses of this kind that faith in Allah and faith in the Messenger are inseparable. Whoever denies Allah’s prophets and does not wish to accept their teachings is equally misguided whether he believes in Allah or not. For the belief about Allah that is formed without true knowledge, even if it is a monotheistic belief, can scarcely be accurate and pure.

Unity of the Kalimah

The second important matter is that only faith in the prophets can unite the whole of humanity on the basis of a single belief. The basis of disagreement is, in reality, ignorance. When people are unaware of the significance of something, they will reach conclusions based merely on conjecture, and disagreement will naturally arise among them as a result. For reaching conclusions with the help of conjecture and imagination is like groping in the dark. If there is no light, fifty people, feeling their way around an object, will express fifty different opinions about it. But once the light appears, no disagreement will remain; rather, all those who can see will reach agreement about the same matter. Therefore, since the prophets were endowed with miraculous knowledge and insight, it is entirely impossible for disagreement to arise in their beliefs, teachings, and course of action. For this reason, the Qur’an has said that all the prophets belong to one community; the essence of their teachings and religion is the same. All of them called people toward the same Sirat al-Mustaqim. And it is obligatory for a believer to have faith in all of them. Whoever denies even one of the prophets will be found guilty of denying all the prophets. Not the slightest trace of faith will remain in his heart. For the teaching he denies is not merely the teaching of one prophet; rather, it is the teaching of all the prophets.

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“(Allah said to the prophets:) O prophets! Eat of the pure things and do righteous deeds; you are fundamentally one community, and I am your Lord. So fear Me. But later, people disagreed among themselves and divided their religion into separate religions. And now their condition is such that each group is pleased with what it possesses.” —(Surah al-Mu’minun: 51–53)

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“O Muhammad! We have revealed inspiration to you as We revealed it to Noah and the prophets after him. And We revealed it in the same manner to Ibrahim, Isma‘il, Ishaq, Ya‘qub, the descendants of Ya‘qub, Isa, Ayyub, Yunus, Harun, and Sulayman; and We gave Dawud the Zabur. We sent those prophets whose accounts We have already related to you, as well as those whose accounts We have not related to you. And before you, Allah also spoke to Musa.” —(Surah al-Nisa: 163–164)

Many verses of this kind establish that all the prophets came to call people toward the same true religion, and that they were sent to every community.

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It is essential to have explicit faith in those among these prophets whose names have been clearly mentioned in the Qur’an Majid. As for the prophets whose names have not been told to us, the correct conviction concerning them is that they were all callers to Islam. But various nations altered their teachings and, through mutual disagreement, formed separate religions for themselves. We cannot call Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster, Confucius, and others prophets precisely because nothing explicit about them has been mentioned in the Qur’an. Nevertheless, our conviction is that Allah’s prophets came to India, China, Japan, Iran, Africa, Europe, and all other lands, and that they all called people to the same Islam as did Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him). Thus, we do not wish to declare the religious leaders of any nation false; rather, we reject only those erroneous beliefs and ways currently prevalent in the world that have deviated from Islam’s Sirat al-Mustaqim.

Obedience to and Following the Prophet

The inevitable consequence of believing in prophethood is that one must follow the way adopted by Allah’s Messenger not only in matters of faith and worship, but in every practical sphere of life. For, through the ‘knowledge’ and ‘insight’ with which Allah had honored them, they could certainly distinguish between erroneous and sound ways. That is why everything they rejected or accepted, and every instruction they gave, was done at Allah’s indication. Ordinary people, even after gaining experience year after year, or indeed age after age, could not become completely successful in distinguishing error from truth; and even if they achieved some success, it would not be founded upon the firm basis of an incontrovertible conviction. Rather, it would depend merely on conjecture and investigation, and the possibility of error would necessarily remain. In contrast, the prophets of Allah adopted in the activities of life, and taught people to follow, a way based on knowledge. That is why there is no possibility of error in it. For this reason, the Qur’an Majid repeatedly commands obedience to and following of the prophets. It calls the way they followed the Shariah, the Straight Way, and the Sirat al-Mustaqim. It also urges people to abandon obedience to others and obey only the prophets, following only in their footsteps. For obedience to them is precisely obedience to Allah, and following them is following the Divine will.

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“We have sent no messenger except that he should be obeyed by Allah’s permission.”—(Surah An-Nisa: 64)

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“Whoever obeys the Prophet has indeed obeyed Allah.”—(Surah An-Nisa: 80)

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“O Muhammad! Say: If you wish to love Allah, then obey me. Then Allah will love you and forgive your sins. Allah is Most Forgiving and Merciful. Say: Obey Allah and the Messenger; then if they turn away, know for certain that Allah does not love the disbelievers.” —(Surah Aal Imran: 31–32)

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“O you who believe! Obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not turn away from Him when you hear His command. Do not be like those who say, ‘We have heard,’ though they hear nothing. Indeed, the worst of beasts in the sight of Allah are those who do not understand.” —(Surah Al-Anfal: 20–22)

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“When Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, it is not permissible for any believing man or believing woman to retain any choice in their own affairs. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has fallen into clear error.” —(Surah Al-Ahzab: 36)

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“Then if they do not obey you, know that they are only following their desires. And who can be more astray than one who forsakes Allah’s guidance and follows his own desire?” (Surah Al-Qasas: 50)

Many other verses likewise emphasize obedience to and following the Prophet. Moreover, in Surah al-Ahzab, this matter has been stated with great clarity: the life of the Messenger of Allah is an exemplary model for those who hope for success in the Hereafter and for a reward from Allah.

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“Indeed, in the life of the Messenger of Allah there was an excellent example for every person who hopes in Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah abundantly.” — (Surah al-Ahzab: 21)

The Importance of Belief in Prophethood

Together with the directives concerning obedience and following, belief in Prophethood is in fact the soul, the vital force, the sustaining power, and the fundamental basis of the distinctive character of the culture established by Islam.

Three things serve as the foundations of every culture and social system. First, a system of thought; second, a moral code; and third, a social system of laws. In all the cultures of the world, these three things are gathered through three different means. A system of thought is derived from the teachings of thinkers and scientists who, for one reason or another, have come to exert influence over the mentality of large human groups. A moral code is adopted from statesmen, reformers, and religious leaders who, in different ages, have gained authority over particular nations. And social laws are formulated by people whose expertise and skill in various aspects and fields of life are relied upon. The social systems established in this way inevitably display three fundamental defects:

One: The materials gathered through these three different means produce such a heterogeneous mixture that it may take a century to establish its character. Even then, many incongruities, inequalities, and inconsistencies remain within it. There are countless scientists and philosophers in the world. Each has a different system of thought, fundamentally distinct from the others. Generally, they have no close connection with the practical problems of human life; indeed, most of them are renowned for their aversion to humanity. From such sources, the people of the world derive their systems of thought. Much disagreement is also found among the group from whom the second material is collected, in their individual beliefs, ideas, and mentalities. If there is any point on which this group is united, it is that every one of its members inhabits a world of imagination and follows excessive emotion and enthusiasm. Their connection with concrete practical problems is very slight. The sources of the third element are likewise diverse, though they share one characteristic: they possess very little tenderness of feeling. Excessive realism has made them harsh and dull. Clearly, properly and harmoniously blending such diverse and mutually contradictory materials is extremely difficult, and their disunity and opposition cannot help but highlight their distinctive characteristics.

Two: The three elements obtained through these means possess neither the strength of permanence nor the capacity for universality. Different thinkers, statesmen, and lawmakers exert influence over different nations, and as a result, fundamental differences arise in their systems of thought, moral codes, and social laws. Moreover, even within a single nation, the influence of the eminent thinkers, statesmen, and lawmakers who exerted influence in its early period does not endure in later ages. Rather, as the ages change, both these influential figures and their influence also change. Thus, on the one hand, cultures assume national forms, and their conflicts kindle among nations a fire of hostility that is truly like a lightning bolt setting fire to a heap of straw prepared for peace. On the other hand, each nation’s distinctive civilization and culture remains permanently in an unstable state; instead of developing along a definite path, it moves sometimes toward evolution and sometimes toward revolution.

Thirdly, not even the slightest mark of sanctity is found in any of the mentioned sources of these three components. The method of thought that a nation receives from its thinkers, the moral code it receives from its guides, and the social system it receives from its lawmakers are all products of human effort—and their followers are fully conscious that they are products of human effort. The inevitable result is that adherence never attains perfection. Even at the height of their adherence, followers cannot become imbued with a spirit of faith. They themselves realize that the basic elements of their culture may contain errors and require correction. Moreover, practical experience and testing continue to expose its errors. This naturally gives rise to doubt, hesitation, and inner conflict. Thus, no system of thought or jurisprudence ever has the opportunity to exercise complete control over a nation and bring stability to society and civilization.

In contrast, a culture established on the basis of faith in a prophet remains free from the three deviations and distortions mentioned above.

Firstly, its three cultural components are derived from the same source. The same person determines the system of thought, defines the moral code, and formulates the principles of the social system. He is simultaneously the guide of the worlds of thought, morality, and action. His vision extends equally over the problems of all three worlds. In him, tolerance, tender feeling, and practical ability are harmoniously combined, and he incorporates the proper proportion of each component into the cultural formula in such a way that no part is excessive or deficient. No incongruity or imbalance can be observed among the parts. In reality, this is beyond human power and capacity. But it is utterly impossible to accomplish without the guidance of the Lord.

Secondly, none of its components is ethnic or bound to a particular age. The system of thought, moral code, and social system established by the Prophet of Allah are not based on ethnic tendencies or the characteristics of a particular era; rather, they rest upon truth and integrity. Truth and integrity are things that transcend all boundaries between East and West, black and white, non-Aryan and Aryan, and ancient and modern. Whatever is true and founded upon truth remains equally true and founded upon truth in every corner of the world, among every nation, and in every cycle of time and history. The sun is just as much the sun in Japan as it is in Gibraltar. As the sun was a thousand years ago, so it will remain a thousand years from now. Therefore, if any culture can become a universal, humane, and enduring culture, it can only be the culture established by the Messenger of Allah. For only it possesses the capacity to suit every country, nation, and age while preserving its original principles and fundamental foundations unchanged.

Thirdly, this culture possesses the status of complete sanctity. Its followers hold the conviction and faith that the founder of this culture is the Prophet of Allah, who possesses knowledge bestowed by Allah. There is not the slightest trace of doubt or hesitation in his knowledge. His speech contains neither conjecture and supposition nor the prompting of desire. Whatever he presents, he presents from Allah. There is no possibility of his stumbling or being led astray. “Your companion has neither gone astray nor been misled. He does not speak from his own desire. It is nothing but revelation revealed to him; one of mighty power has taught him.” (Surah al-Najm 53:2–5) When this faith and conviction enter the veins and arteries of the Prophet’s followers, they continue to follow the Prophet with complete peace of mind. No doubt, hesitation, or inner conflict has any place in their hearts. The fear never arises in their hearts that this path may not be flawless, and that some other path may be founded upon truth or at least better than it. Clearly, such a culture will possess the desired degree of strength, its adherence will be exceptionally firm, and it will display greater discipline than the other cultures of the world. Greater cohesion, balance, and stability will be established in its system of thought, moral code, and social system.

Indeed, the prophets of Allah were the builders of this culture. For hundreds of years, they prepared the ground for it in every part of the world. When the ground was fully prepared, the final Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him), came and erected its complete structure.

The Distinctive Nature of Muhammadan Prophethood

Everything stated thus far concerned the general principles and arrangements relating to prophethood. In addition, however, there are several matters specifically connected with Muhammadan Prophethood (peace be upon him). There is no doubt that, in terms of the rank of prophethood, there is fundamentally no difference between Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the other prophets. For the clear declaration of the Noble Qur’an is that no distinction among the prophets is permissible. Therefore, as a matter of principle, the following applies to all the prophets: they were all sent by Allah; all were granted “wisdom” and “knowledge”; all called people toward the same Straight Path; and all were guides and leaders for humankind. Obedience to all of them is obligatory, and the life of each of them is an exemplary model for humanity. In practice, however, Allah Most High granted the final Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him), a special distinction over the other prophets in several matters. This distinction is not some ordinary or insignificant matter such that observing or disregarding it would produce no consequence. Rather, it has fundamental importance in the entire system of Islam. In fact, all Islamic beliefs and laws are founded upon this distinctive status of Muhammadan Prophethood. For this reason, no one’s faith concerning prophethood can become sound until, recognizing this distinctive and exceptional status, he believes in Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

The Difference between Previous Prophethood and the Prophethood of Muhammad

To understand this matter, it is necessary to bear a few points in mind.

First: The indications of the Qur’an, ancient history, and intellectual inference all suggest that the number of prophets must have been several thousand. The Qur’an says: (***************) “There was no nation to which a warner was not sent.” It is clear that such a vast number of human communities has passed away that our history has neither been able to provide information about them nor can it do so. Therefore, even if only one prophet had come for each nation, the number of prophets should still have exceeded a thousand. Support for this is also found in some Hadiths, where the number of prophets is given as 124,000. Yet among this vast number, the prophets whose names are mentioned in the Qur’an Majid can be counted on one’s fingers. Even if we include among them the names of those religious leaders whose prophethood is not indicated in the Qur’an Majid, the number still does not exceed a few dozen. The fact that the names and traces of countless prophets have disappeared, and that the signs of their teachings have vanished, proves that they came for particular eras and particular nations. They possessed nothing that could provide permanence and durability or give their message universal scope.

Second: Moreover, the biographies and teachings of the prophets and religious leaders whose names we know are covered by such layers of legendary tales and distortion that there is no comparison with our ignorance concerning them. If you set aside fanciful beliefs about the traces of them that remain in the present world and examine them solely by historical standards, you will have to admit that none of these can be relied upon. We cannot even determine the periods in which they actually lived. We do not even know their real names. Nor can we say with certainty whether they actually existed in the world. Historians have even questioned whether famous figures such as Buddha, Zoroaster, and Jesus were historical persons or merely products of imagination. Moreover, what little we know about their lives is so brief and obscure that they cannot be accepted as exemplary models for imitation in any department of life. The condition of the teachings they preached is much the same. None of the books and teachings circulated in their names can be authoritatively traced back to them. On the contrary, there is strong evidence, both internal and external, proving that those books and teachings have undergone extensive alteration and revision. This truly makes it evident that the prophethood and religious leadership of all the prophets and religious leaders who came before Muhammad (peace be upon him) have come to an end.

Third: It is self-evident concerning almost all prophets and religious leaders that the teachings of those who came among particular nations were intended precisely for those nations. Some of them stated this themselves, while the course of events has established it concerning others. The teachings of Abraham, Moses, Confucius, Zoroaster, and Krishna never exceeded the boundaries of their own peoples. The same applies to the other prophets and religious leaders of the Semitic and Aryan peoples. Admittedly, the followers of Buddha and Jesus succeeded in conveying their teachings to other nations. But they themselves neither made any effort to do so nor ever claimed that their message was intended for the entire world. Indeed, the Gospel itself quotes Jesus as saying that he came into the world only to guide the Children of Israel.

Fourth: Among all the prophets and religious leaders, Muhammad (peace be upon him) alone is the man concerning whose character, life, and teachings we possess accurate, authentic, and certain information, leaving no room whatsoever for doubt about its truth. Thus, without fear of any objection, it may be said that there is no historical figure in the world about whom such precise and reliable information exists today. Indeed, if a skeptical person were to doubt its authenticity, he would have to cast the entire treasury of world history into a furnace. For after doubting the authenticity of such an immense body of evidence, he would necessarily have to admit that all historical knowledge is merely a heap of falsehoods and that not a single word of it can be relied upon.

Fifth: Thus, among all the prophets and religious leaders, only the life and biography of Muhammad (peace be upon him) are available to us in detail. Not only among the religious leaders of nations, but among all the historical figures in the world, there is no man besides Muhammad (peace be upon him) whose life’s minutest details have been preserved on the pages of history. If there is any difference between the age of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the present age, it is that his physical person existed then, whereas it does not today. But if physical existence is not made a condition of life, we may say that he is still alive today and will remain alive as long as his biography exists in the world. Through the books of Hadith and biography, people today can still view the life of Muhammad (peace be upon him) just as closely as his contemporaries could. It may therefore be said with complete propriety that, among the prophets and other religious leaders, only Muhammad (peace be upon him) can be followed accurately and comprehensively.

Sixth: The same applies to the teachings of the Prophet (peace be upon him). It has already been stated that among the prophets and religious leaders there is no one whose revealed scripture and preached teachings remain intact today, such that a sound and reliable connection can be established with their original bearer and preacher. Muhammad (peace be upon him) alone possesses this distinction. The Book he brought, the Qur’an, remains exactly in the language in which he presented it. In addition to the Qur’an, the guidance he conveyed in his own words has also been preserved in an almost entirely authentic form, and, God willing, will remain preserved forever. Therefore, among the prophets and religious leaders, only the teachings of Muhammad (peace be upon him) can be followed with complete confidence and without doubt.

Seven: Consider the body of information available in the world today concerning the teachings and biographies of the prophets and religious leaders of the past. Every sacred example of truth and honesty, welfare and goodness, noble character and virtuous conduct that you find there, you will find in the teachings and biography of Muhammad (peace be upon him). Likewise, in the teachings and lives of all the leaders who have emerged in human society after him, you will find no truth, honesty, virtue or goodness that is absent from the teachings and character of Muhammad (peace be upon him). Moreover, in the teachings and biography of Muhammad (peace be upon him) there is such a rich store of true knowledge, righteous action and sound morality as cannot be found in the teachings and biographies of any religious leader, past or present, in the world. The most important point is that, outside Islam, people cannot conceive of any flawless truth concerning divine knowledge, moral character and worldly conduct. Thus, it is an undeniable truth that the teachings and character of Muhammad (peace be upon him) comprise the sum of all goodness. Whatever existed as truth, Muhammad (peace be upon him) made manifest; the straight path, as it was called, he made bright and clear. He presented explicitly every sound principle and rule that could be needed to preserve human moral character and conduct, individually and collectively, and to live properly in this world. There is now no room for any addition or enhancement to it.

Eight: Among the entire body of prophets and religious leaders, Muhammad (peace be upon him) alone claimed that his call was for all humanity; and, in practice, during his own lifetime he sent letters of invitation to the rulers of various countries, and his call reached every region of the earth and every group of humanity. No one besides the Prophet (peace be upon him) has attained this distinction. Some neither claimed universality nor attained universal status. The religions of others did attain universal status, but they themselves never made such a claim or worked for it. In fact, Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the only person who claimed universality, worked for it and actually attained universality.

Nine: There can be only three reasons for the coming of prophets into the world. First, no prophet had previously come to guide a particular nation, and according to **********, one or more prophets were needed for it. Second, a prophet had indeed come previously, but the signs of his prophethood had disappeared; his teachings and the Book he had brought had been corrupted; the records of his life had been erased; and it had become impossible for people to follow his excellent example. Third, because the teachings of a previous prophet or prophets were incomplete, further addition and enhancement were necessary. Apart from these three reasons, there is no fourth reason for the coming of prophets, nor can there be one in the judgment of reason.1 If a prophet has come to a nation, his teachings and biography have also been preserved accurately, no addition or enhancement is needed, and yet a second prophet is then sent, this is wholly impossible. The office of prophethood is not merely a matter of distinction, to be bestowed as a reward for some good deed. Rather, it is a particular kind of service entrusted to someone as needed for a specific task. Furthermore, this office is not so small and insignificant that it would be conferred on someone merely to draw attention to a teaching of the past. Truthful scholars and renewers are sufficient for that task. Reason therefore emphatically demands that no prophet can come until one of the aforementioned three causes occurs. Our preceding discussion has established that, with the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him), all three of these causes have disappeared. His call is for all humanity; therefore, there is now no need for separate prophets for different nations. The Book he brought and the signs of his prophethood have been preserved in completely accurate form; there is no need for a new Book or guidance. His teachings and guidance are perfect and complete. In this respect, neither has anything from true knowledge remained concealed, nor has any guidance or exemplary model for righteous action been left to be presented

1. One reason, of course, could be that, to assist one prophet, another prophet needed to be sent alongside him. Several examples of this are also found in the Qur’an. But this is not the subject of our discussion. This is because the prophethood of the assisting prophet is merely an adjunct to the prophethood for whose assistance he was appointed as a minister.

There has been no deficiency in this matter. Therefore, there is no need for anyone to make additions either. When these three reasons are absent—while the coming of a prophet depends precisely on these three matters—we must naturally acknowledge that, after the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him), the door of prophethood has been definitively closed. If this door were open today, it would mean that Allah also performs futile acts, whereas Allah is free from them, pure and holy. He never performs any futile act.1

The Qur’an has presented, in great detail and with complete clarity, the three distinctive distinctions of the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him).

The Universal Call

The Qur’an says

“(O Muhammad!) Say: O mankind! I am the Messenger of Allah to all of you—the One to whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. There is no deity except Him; He gives life and causes death. So believe in Allah and His unlettered Prophet and Messenger, who believes in Allah and His words. Follow him, so that you may be rightly guided. —(Surah al-A‘raf: 158)”

“(O Muhammad!) We have sent you as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner for all mankind, but most people do not know this.” —(Surah Saba: 28)

1. The matter is not merely that sending a prophet when there is no need for one would be futile; it would also be contrary to reason. Once the work of prophethood had been completed, its door should indeed have been closed, so that people throughout the world could unite by following a single prophet. Otherwise, if this door remained open, the arrival of every new prophet would once again create a division among people between disbelief and faith, and those who had united would begin to separate from one another.

“O mankind! This Messenger has come to you with the truth from your Lord, so believe; that is better for you. But if you persist in disbelief, then know that Allah is the Lord of the heavens and the earth.” —(Surah al-Nisa: 170)

“(O Muhammad!) We have sent you as a mercy to the worlds.” —(Surah al-Anbiya: 107)

“Blessed is He who sent down upon His servant the Book that distinguishes between truth and falsehood, so that he may be a warner to all the worlds.” —(Surah al-Furqan: 1)

Several points become clear from this:

First, Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) message is not confined to any particular age, nation, or country; rather, he is the guide and leader of the entire human race for all time.

Secondly, all humankind has been commanded to believe in him and follow him.

Thirdly, the right path cannot be found without believing in him and following him.

These three matters are all included in the doctrine of certainty, because the universality and boundlessness of the universal culture called Islam depend upon this conviction. In fact, if it is acknowledged that guidance can be found outside the religion preached by the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him), then the universality of the Islamic call disappears, and the universality of the Islamic ideal becomes meaningless.

The Perfection of the Religion of Islam

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It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the true religion, so that He may make it prevail over every religion.” — (Surah al-Tawbah: 33)

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“Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and chosen Islam as your religion.” From this it is known that what is called guidance and what is meant by the true religion have been sent down completely and perfectly through the Arab Prophet (peace be upon him). His prophethood has extended over all religions. Through him the religion was perfected. The pure stream of guidance that had been descending little by little through the earlier prophets has now reached the stage of completion. After this, nothing remains in guidance, religion, or true knowledge that might require another prophet or messenger to come and disclose it. The natural consequence of proclaiming the perfection of the religion and the completion of the favor in such clear language was that the relationship of obedience and following with the earlier prophethood would be severed, and that the door of prophethood would necessarily be closed for the future. These two matters—namely, the abrogation of the earlier religions and the completion of prophethood—are the distinguishing characteristics of the Prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him). Both of these matters have been stated explicitly in the Noble Qur’an.

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Abrogation of Previous Religions

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The significance of the abrogation of previous religions is that everything presented by the earlier prophets has now been abrogated. It is indeed necessary to maintain a general belief in their prophethood and truthfulness, because they were all callers to the Islamic message. Believing in them is tantamount to believing in Islam. In practice, however, the relationship of allegiance and following has now been severed from them and linked exclusively to the teachings and way of life of Muhammad (peace be upon him). This is because, in principle, after perfection there is no need for imperfection. Secondly, the teachings and life accounts of the earlier prophets have been distorted and lost; as a result, it was no longer practically possible to follow them accurately. For this reason, wherever the Noble Qur’an commands obedience to and following of the Messenger, the words **** or **** have been used. By these, Muhammad (peace be upon him) in particular is meant. Thus it is said:

“Say to them, ‘Obey Allah and the Messenger.’ Then, if they do not accept your invitation, Allah certainly cannot love those people who refuse to obey Him and the Messenger.” —(Surah Aal-e-Imran: 32)

Obey Allah. Obey the Messenger and those among you who are entrusted with authority. (Surah An-Nisa: 59)

“Whoever obeys the Messenger has in fact obeyed Allah.” (

And for this reason, the peoples who believe in any of the earlier prophets have also been commanded to believe in Muhammad (peace be upon him) and follow him. Thus it is said:

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“O People of the Scripture! Our Messenger has come to you, making clear to you much of what you had concealed from the Scripture, while overlooking much. There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book. Through it, Allah will guide those who seek His pleasure to the ways of peace, bring them out of darkness into light, and guide them to a straight path.” (Surah al-Ma’idah: 15–16)

It is stated elsewhere:

“Those among the People of the Scripture who believe are those who follow the unlettered Prophet and Messenger, whose mention they find recorded in their own Torah and Gospel. He commands them to do what is right and forbids them from wrongdoing; he makes lawful for them the pure things and makes unlawful for them the impure things; and he removes from them their burdens and the shackles that were upon them. So those who believe in him, support him, help him, and follow the light sent down with him—they are the successful. O Muhammad, say: ‘O people! I am Allah’s Messenger to you all—He to whom belongs the entire dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is no deity but Him. He gives life and causes death. So believe in Allah and His unlettered Messenger and Prophet, who believes in Allah and His words, and follow him so that you may be guided to the straight path.’” (Surah al-A‘raf: 157–158)

These clear verses explain the abrogation of the earlier religions. Their meaning and significance have been made clear, its reason has been stated, and its natural consequence has also been conveyed. It has likewise been declared that, from now on, attaining guidance and prosperity is inseparably connected with following the unlettered Prophet (peace be upon him). It has also been explained that the religion preached by the unlettered Prophet (peace be upon him) is, in reality, the reform and completion of the religion sent to the followers of the Torah and the Gospel and to the other nations.

The Seal of Prophethood

In this way, the Qur’an has also stated in the clearest terms the other consequence of the perfection of the religion: the Seal of Prophethood. It says:

“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is Allah’s Messenger and the Seal of the Prophets. And Allah is Knowing of all things.” (Surah al-Ahzab: 40)

This declaration concerning the closing of the door of prophethood is so clear that, unless there is crookedness and perversity in one’s heart, one can find no room whatsoever after this for opening the door of prophethood within Islam. Whether the word mentioned in the verse is read with a fatḥah on the indicated letter or with a kasrah, the result is the same in both cases: since nothing can occur contrary to Allah’s knowledge, the door of prophethood has been closed forever in accordance with His knowledge.

Essential Elements of Belief in Muhammadan Prophethood

The completion of the religion of Islam, the abrogation of the previous religions, and the finality of prophethood—these three beliefs are in fact included among Islam’s articles of faith, and belief in them is an essential element of the foundation of prophethood. The foundation of Islam’s universal call is that, in the form of the Muhammadan Call, a complete religion was instituted for humankind in which the deficiencies of all earlier calls were completed. No deficiency was left for the future that might ever require completion. This complete dīn has established, for all time, a definite and permanent distinction between Islam and kufr, and between truth and falsehood. After this, no diminution or addition will be needed in it until the Day of Resurrection. In truth, whatever constitutes Islam and truth, Muhammad (peace be upon him) clearly set forth. There is no possibility that any new matter of this kind will appear thereafter, upon whose acceptance being a Muslim and attaining the truth would depend. Conversely, whatever Muhammad (peace be upon him) called kufr and falsehood will remain kufr and falsehood forever. Just as nothing he declared can become truth and Islam today, no new distinction between kufr and Islam can be created on the basis of anything else. Upon such a firm and unchangeable foundation has the lofty edifice of a worldwide, enduring millat and Islamic culture been built. It was built upon this foundation so that the people of the world might remain united forever by following the same millat, the same dīn, and the same culture. It would be a millat concerning whose perfection and permanence they would have no fear. The universal call of Islam rests upon confidence and reliance, and upon this depend Islam’s stability and permanence. Whoever says that following the previous religions remains lawful even after the advent of Islam is in reality trying to deprive Islam of its claim to a universal call. For if guidance can be attained through paths other than Islam, calling all humankind toward Islam becomes pointless. And whoever says that Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) teachings may be corrected, changed, and expanded in accordance with the needs and circumstances of every age is in reality trying to deprive Islam of its claim to permanence. For if a dīn is incomplete and subject to change and expansion, its claim to serve as the means of guidance for all time is false. Conversely, whoever says that there remains room for a prophet to come after Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Islam is in reality seeking to strike at Islam’s stability. For leaving the door of prophethood open means that the unity and solidarity of Islam will always remain threatened by division and fragmentation. Moreover, the advent of a new prophet would give rise to a new distinction between kufr and Islam, and in every such case those who believe in Allah, Muhammad (peace be upon him), and the Qur’an would leave Islam in groups. Thus, opening the door of prophethood is in reality equivalent to opening the door of fitnah and misguidance. Among all the possible causes of Islam’s destruction, the claim to a new prophethood is the most grave and dangerous. The organization of the Muslim nation has been established on the principle that all who believe in Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Qur’an are Muslims and believers. They are one millat, one nation. They are brothers to one another. In hardship and ease, in joy and sorrow, they share one another’s lot. Now, if some people were to come and say that believing in Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Qur’an is not sufficient, that it is necessary also to believe in me, and that whoever does not believe in me is a disbeliever despite believing in Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Qur’an, then, on this basis, he creates a distinction between kufr and Islam among Muslims and tears apart the single nation formed by Muhammad (peace be upon him). He severs the ties of brotherhood among those whom the Qur’an has made brothers, separates their prayers and other religious practices, breaks their marital relationships, and leaves no bond between them—not even the ties of tending the sick, offering sympathy in grief, or attending funerals. Then who could be a greater enemy of Islam, Islamic nationality, Islamic culture, and the Islamic social system than him?

From this discussion it can readily be understood how important, in relation to Muhammadan Prophethood, are the completion of the religion of Islam, the abrogation of the previous religions, and belief in the finality of prophethood, and why their inclusion in faith is essential for Islam’s stability and permanence and for its establishment.

6

Belief in the Book

In Islamic terminology, the term “Book” refers to a scripture revealed by Allah to a Messenger for the guidance of humankind. In this sense, the Book is the official version of that message, or, in Islamic terminology, the “Word of God,” for delivering which to people, explaining and analyzing it, and putting it into practice, prophets are sent into the world. There is no scope here for discussing in what sense the “Book” is the Word of Allah or what is meant by its being the speech of Allah. That is a purely theological discussion and has no connection with the subject under consideration. Here we shall shed light only on the role of īmān bi’l-kitāb (belief in the Book) in laying the foundation of Islamic culture. For this purpose, it is enough to know that the principles and fundamental matters of the teaching intended to be imparted to people through a prophet are inspired by Allah into the prophet’s heart. Neither in its wording nor in its meaning is there the slightest participation of the prophet’s own intellect and thought, or of his will and desire. For this reason, in both wording and meaning, it is the Word of Allah and not the prophet’s own composition. As a trustworthy messenger, the prophet conveys this Word to Allah’s servants. Furthermore, with the insight granted by Allah, he explains its meaning and significance. On the basis of these divine principles, he builds a complete framework of morality, social life, and civilization and culture. Through teaching, preaching, sincere counsel, and his own pure and spotless character, he brings about a fundamental change in people’s ideas, inclinations, and modes of thought. He instills among them the spirit of taqwa, purity, cleanliness, and good conduct. Through education and practical guidance, he organizes them so thoroughly that a new society emerges, with a new mentality, new thoughts and ideas, new customs, and new laws. Moreover, he leaves among them the Book of Allah, together with such an example of his own instruction and pure character, that it continually serves as a beacon for that society and for succeeding generations.

The Relationship between Prophethood and the Book

Both ‘Prophethood’ and the ‘Book’ have come from the One God. Both are indispensable parts of the same divine matter and means of completing the same purpose and the same call. Just as the knowledge and wisdom of that God are present within the Messenger, so too are they present in the pages of the Book. The practical embodiment of the teaching whose verbal exposition is called the ‘Book’ is the life of the Messenger.

It is somewhat in the nature of human beings (fitrah) that they cannot derive any extraordinary benefit from book-based instruction alone. Along with knowledge, they also need a human teacher and guide who, through his own instruction, will firmly establish that knowledge in people’s hearts and, by embodying it himself, instill in them through his actions the very living spirit intended by that teaching. In the whole history of humanity, you will not find a single example of a mere book having created a revolution in the mentality, outlook, and way of life of any nation in the world without the guidance and instruction of a human teacher. If the guides who created tremendous revolutions in the thought and activities of various nations had not been born as complete living embodiments of their own teachings, and if their instruction and idealism had appeared only in book form, no daring investigator of human nature could claim that the revolutions brought about by the practical teachings of those guides could have been brought about by the Book alone.

On the other hand, it is also a characteristic of human nature that, along with a human guide, it seeks an authoritative and reliable explanation of the teaching he has preached—whether it is recorded on paper or preserved in people’s hearts. If the principles on which a guide establishes the foundation of a nation’s thought, activities, morality, and civilization are not preserved in their original form, the imprint of his teaching gradually begins to disappear. As that imprint fades, the foundations of individual ways of life and of the social system and laws also progressively weaken. Eventually, all that remains for that nation is a collection of tales and stories. It no longer retains the strength to preserve a powerful society and civilization intact. This is why the followers of guides whose teachings were not preserved fell into the whirlpool of error and misguidance. The nations they organized became immersed in every kind of distortion in thought, belief, conduct, morality, and civilization. After those guides passed away, nothing remained capable of preserving the sound and correct principles on which those nations had originally been organized.

The Creator of the universe was fully aware of this nature of His creation. Therefore, from the very time He assumed responsibility for guiding humankind, He instituted both Prophethood and revelation together for it. On the one hand, He elevated people possessing the finest character to the status of leadership; on the other, He sent down His own Word to them, so that these two things could fulfill the two demands of human nature. If a prophet had come without a Book, or a Book had come without a prophet, the purpose of reason could never have been fulfilled.

The Qur’anic Parable of the Lamp and the Guide

The Qur’an Majid has described this relationship between Prophethood and the Book through a parable. In various places, it compares the prophet to a pioneer and guide whose task is to direct those who have gone astray to the right path. It says, for example:

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On the other hand, it has described the Book with such epithets as “radiance” (***), “light” (***), “luminous” (***), “proof” (***), “distinguisher” (***), “giver of light” (***), and “clarifier,” among others. It has been said, for example:

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These analogies are not merely poetic; rather, they point to an important truth. Their essential meaning is that ordinary people do not gain from natural intelligence and acquired knowledge enough light and guidance “by which” they can walk along the straightforward path of truth. On this familiar yet dark path, they need an exceptional pioneer who is fully acquainted with its rules. He must have a torch in his hand so that, with its help, he can proceed while knowing where there are holes in the path, where one may slip, where thorny bushes lie, where crooked and misguided paths branch off, and so on. His followers, too, can see the signs of the path in that light, learn the indications of the straight way, become aware of the turns and bends of the crooked path, and follow him with complete foresight. In fact, the relationship that exists between a guide and a torch in the darkness of night is precisely the relationship that exists between the Prophet and the Book. If we snatch the torch from the guide’s hand and begin proceeding on our own, we will encounter along the way various forks, crossroads, and roads of different kinds where we will either have to stop in confusion and distress or proceed along some erroneous path by the light of that torch. For the mere existence of a lamp cannot make a person independent of the guide’s assistance. Likewise, if the guide has no torch in his hand, we will have to cling to him and proceed like blind followers, and without light we will gain no foresight by which we can distinguish the straight path from the crooked one and recognize those delicate places on the straight path where people stumble or lose their footing. Thus, just as we need an experienced and well-acquainted guide to travel through an unfamiliar road in the darkness of night, as well as a lamp suitable for seeing the signs along the way, and cannot dispense with either one of them, so too, in the unfamiliar realm of truths beyond the senses—where the light of our mere intellect and reason is of no use—we equally need our Messenger and the Book. We cannot find the straight path by abandoning adherence to either one of them.

The Prophet is such an experienced guide that, with the foresight granted by Allah, he has come to know the Straight Path of guidance. He is so thoroughly acquainted with every detail of this path that, if a guide has traveled along a road countless times, he would know the complete account of every one of its steps.

Such foresight is called “wisdom” (***), “knowledge” (***), “complete understanding” (******), “divine instruction” (*********), and “divine guidance” (**********), which the Qur’an repeatedly mentions as having been specially granted to the Prophets. For example, it says:

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And the Book is such a radiant torch that, with its help, the Prophet not only leads his followers along the straight path, but also endows them with the radiance of knowledge, the light of thought, and the brilliance of truth that he has received from Allah at a higher level. At the same time, through instruction and training, he makes them so capable that, if they follow in his footsteps and keep that torch in their hands, they will not only attain the right path themselves but will also become guides and leaders for other people.

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“We have sent down this Book to you so that you may bring people from darkness into light.” (Surah Ibrahim: 1)

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“We have sent down the Reminder (the Qur’an) to you so that you may make clear to people the guidance that has been revealed to them; perhaps they will reflect. (Surah

Moreover, it has stated in an elevated manner that the distinction between a lamp and a guide in the material world does not exist between the Prophet and the Book in the spiritual world. Rather, there is a bond of unity between the two there. Thus, in some places, the very thing used to compare the Book is used elsewhere to compare the Messenger as well. Conversely, the opposite comparison has also been made:

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“O Prophet! We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of glad tidings and a warner, and as one who calls to Him by Allah’s permission and as a shining lamp.” Again

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“Indeed, this Qur’an guides to the path that is completely straight.” In the verse, the Book is called a guide.

From this it became clear that the relationship between the Book and the Messenger is essentially inseparable. Both are equally necessary for human beings to receive guidance. In order to establish, preserve, and keep intact and unaltered the intellectual and practical system of action, and the culture and civilization that Islam seeks to establish, it is indispensable to maintain its relationship continually with prophethood and the Book. It is on the basis of this acute need that prophethood and the Book have been declared separately to be two indispensable components of faith, and repeated emphasis has been placed on believing in each of them. If emphasis had not been intended, there would have been no need to do so, for acknowledging the truthfulness of the Messenger proves the truthfulness of the Book he brought, while acknowledging the truthfulness of the Book amounts to proving the truthfulness of the bearer who brought it.

Faith in All Heavenly Books

In connection with this faith, Islam has instructed belief in all the Books that were revealed by Allah to His prophets. Just as it is necessary to believe in all the prophets and Messengers in order to be Muslim, it is likewise necessary to believe in all the Books. Thus, the Qur’an repeatedly states:**************

“The God-fearing are those who believe in the Book revealed to you and in the Books revealed before you.” —(Surah al-Baqarah: 4)

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“The Messenger and all the believers have believed in Allah, His angels, all His Books, and His prophets.” (Surah al-Baqarah: 285)

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“Allah has revealed the Book to you with the truth, confirming the truth of all the Books that came before it.” (Surah Al ‘Imran: 3)

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“Say: We believe in Allah, in the Book revealed to us, and in the Books revealed to Ibrahim, Isma’il, Ishaq and Ya’qub and his descendants, and in what was given to Musa, Isa and the other prophets by their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are obedient to Him.” — (Surah Aal-e-Imran: 84)

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“Those who have denied this Book and the other Books with which We sent the prophets will soon learn the consequences of their denial. When shackles and chains will be around their necks, they will be dragged into boiling water, and then thrown into the Fire.” — (Surah Al-Mu’min: 70–72)

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“Indeed, We sent Our prophets with clear proofs, and along with them We revealed the Book and the Balance, so that people might uphold justice.” — (Surah Al-Hadid: 25)

Along with this general statement, instructions were also given to believe in certain Books by mentioning their names. For example, the Torah has been called guidance, light (***), criterion, radiance (****), a guide and mercy. — (Al-Qasas: 5, Al-Ma’idah: 6, Al-Anbiya: 4, Al-Ahqaf: 2) The Gospel has likewise been called guidance, light (***) and admonition (***). (Al-Ma’idah: 4) In short, it is one of the fundamental principles of Islam that one must believe in detail in the Books mentioned extensively in the Qur’an, and in general in those not mentioned. According to Islamic belief, there is no nation in the world to which Allah’s prophet did not come bearing a Book from Him. All the Books that came to different regions and different peoples of the world were streams flowing from the same source, rays of light radiating from the same sun. All the Books came with the truth, veracity, guidance and light (***) called “Islam.” For this reason, every Muslim believes in all of them. And whoever disbelieves in even one of these Books is guilty of denying everything and of denying the true Source.

Following the Qur’an Alone

But after faith, the scope of practical adherence begins here; one must sever ties with the other scriptures and maintain a connection solely with the Qur’an. There are several reasons for this:

First, many of the heavenly scriptures no longer exist. And among those that are available today, no book other than the Qur’an has been preserved in its original language and meaning. Human words and language have become intermingled with the Divine Word, both in wording and in meaning. As an inevitable consequence of worshipping desires, misguidance has become mixed with guidance in those scriptures. It has now become difficult to distinguish how much truth and how much falsehood they contain. Such is the condition of the books upon which various peoples have based their religions and which are suspected of being heavenly scriptures. In some, there is no notion at all that they were revealed by Allah. Regarding some, it is not even known to which prophet or in which age they were revealed, if they were indeed revealed by Allah. The language of some has suffered such complete extinction that even determining their correct meaning today is difficult. In some, a clear mixture of human desires, erroneous doctrines, and superstitions can be observed. Some contain explicit teachings of shirk, worship of other than Allah, and other erroneous beliefs and practices of this kind, which can in no way be true. Books in such a condition can never provide people with sound knowledge and the right light. Nor can people remain safe from misguidance by following them.

Second, of all the books currently existing apart from the Qur’an—whether they are heavenly or merely suspected of being heavenly—their teachings and systems of law are either marked by the influence of narrow tribal nationalism or dominated by the needs of a particular age. They have never been, nor can they be, a means of guidance and direction for all humanity in every age.

Third, there is no doubt that each of these scriptures contains some true and authentic teachings, as well as many good principles and injunctions for purifying human nature, character, and conduct. But no scripture encompasses all virtue and welfare; none of them, on its own, can provide precise guidance in every aspect and sphere of human life.

But the Noble Qur’an is completely free from these three defects:

First: The language in which the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) presented the Qur’an has been preserved exactly as it was. From the very beginning, hundreds of thousands and millions of people in every age have memorized it. Hundreds of millions recite it every day. Copies of it have continually been written down. No difference has ever appeared in its meaning or wording. Therefore, there is no room for doubt in this matter: the Qur’an heard from the lips of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) is the very Qur’an that exists in the world today and will remain forever. Not a single word has ever been altered in it, nor can it be.

Second: The Qur’an was revealed in Arabic, which is still a living language. Today, countless millions of Arabic speakers exist throughout the world. The books that were the finest and most exemplary works of Arabic literature at the time of the Qur’an’s revelation remain so to this day. Unlike the difficulties encountered today in understanding books written in dead languages, there is no comparable difficulty in grasping the meaning and essence of this literature.

Third: The Qur’an is entirely true and flawless, and is filled from beginning to end with Divine teaching. Nowhere in it can the slightest trace be found of human emotion, the lusts of desire, national or tribal self-interest, or ignorance-born misguidance. Not even the tiniest amount of human speech has been able to become mixed with the Word of Allah within it.

Fourth: All humanity has been invited to it, and such beliefs, moral principles, and codes of conduct have been presented as are not confined to any particular country, nation, or age. Each of its teachings is universal as well as everlasting.

Fifth: Everything concerning the truths, fundamental principles, welfare, and righteous deeds described in the previous heavenly scriptures has been incorporated into it. No truth or righteous deed can be cited from any religious scripture that is not mentioned in the Qur’an. In the presence of such a comprehensive scripture, people naturally become independent of all other scriptures.

For all these reasons, Islam has severed the relationship of following all other scriptures, declared only the Qur’an worthy of being followed, and invited the entire world to accept this scripture alone as its code and method of action.

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إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَا أَرَاكَ اللّهُ وَلاَ تَكُن لِّلْخَآئِنِينَ خَصِيمًا

“Indeed, We have revealed this Book to you with the truth, so that you may judge between people with the true knowledge given to you by Allah.” (Surah An-Nisa: 105)

“Therefore, those who have believed in this Prophet, supported and aided him, and followed the light that was sent down with him—they are the successful.” — (Surah Al-A’raf: 157)

And for this reason, the nations that already possess a heavenly scripture have also been invited to believe in the Qur’an and follow it. Therefore, the Qur’an repeatedly gives the following instruction:

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“O People of the Book! Believe in this Book which We have revealed, affirming the truth of the Scriptures preserved with you.” — Surah An-Nisa: 47)

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“O People of the Book! Our Messenger has come to you, making clear to you many things that you used to conceal from the Book and pardoning many things. There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book. Through it Allah guides to the ways of peace those who follow His pleasure, brings them out of darkness into light by His permission, and guides them to the straight path.” — Surah Al-Ma’idah: 15–16

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“We have revealed clear verses to you, and none disbelieves in them except the defiantly disobedient.” — Surah Al-Baqarah: 99

Detailed Conviction Concerning the Qur’an

Following a Book that has been declared the infallible guide for human thought and belief, and prescribed as a binding code of conduct for practical life, cannot be complete until a person firmly believes that it is infallible, grounded in truth, and free from every defect and shortcoming. For if any doubt arises regarding its purity, the person will no longer have confidence in it or feel secure with it, and will not be able to follow it with complete reliance. For this reason, the essential components of faith in the Qur’an (iman bil-Qur’an) have themselves been set out in the Noble Qur’an. They are as follows:

First: The meaning in which the Qur’an was revealed has remained preserved. No addition or omission has occurred in it. The following verses bear witness to this:

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“It is Our task to collect it and recite it; therefore, when We recite it, follow that recitation. Then it is also Our task to explain its meaning.” — (Surah al-Qiyamah: 17–19)

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“We shall teach you in such a way that you will not forget—except what Allah wills you to forget; that is a separate matter.” — (Surah al-A‘la: 6–7)

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“Indeed, We have sent down this Reminder (the Qur’an), and indeed, We are its guardian.” — (Surah al-Hijr: 9)

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“Recite whatever has been revealed to you from your Lord; no one has the power to change His words.” — (Surah Al-Kahf: 27)

Two: No satanic force has even the slightest share in the revelation of the Qur’an.

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“The devils did not bring it down; it is neither their task nor are they capable of doing so. Rather, they have been kept away from listening to the revelation.” — (Surah Ash-Shu‘ara: 210–212)

Three: The personal desires and wishes of the Prophet himself have no place in the Qur’an.

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“He does not speak according to his own desire; rather, this is nothing but revelation sent down to him.” — (Surah An-Najm: 3–4)

Four: There is absolutely no place for falsehood or untruth in the Qur’an.

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“Indeed, this is a mighty and well-protected Book; falsehood cannot approach it from before it, nor from behind it. It has been sent down from One who is Wise and Praiseworthy.” – (Surah Ha-Mim as-Sajdah: 41–42)

Five: The Qur’an is true from beginning to end; it was revealed not on the basis of conjecture or supposition, but on the basis of true knowledge. There is no room in it for deviation or crookedness; it guides people to the straight path.

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“Those who possess knowledge recognize that this Book, revealed to you from your Lord, is indeed the truth; it guides people toward Allah, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.” – (Surah Saba: 6)

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“There is no doubt that it is the certain truth.” – (Surah Al-Haqqah: 51)

“We have brought them a Book which We have set forth on the basis of true knowledge as comprehensive guidance and mercy for the believers.” – (Surah Al-A‘raf: 52)

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“O Muhammad! Tell them that it is He who knows all the mysteries of the heavens and the earth who has revealed this Book.” – (Surah Al-Furqan: 6)

“Nothing in this Book has been stated on the basis of doubt.”

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“Allah has placed no crookedness in it; it is perfectly straight.”

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“Indeed, this Qur’an guides to a path that is perfectly straight.”

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Six: No one—not even the Prophet himself—has the right to make any alteration in the Qur’an’s injunctions and teachings.

“(O Muhammad!) Say: I have no authority to change this Book on my own. I only follow the revelation sent down to me. If I disobey my Lord, I fear the punishment of a dreadful day.” —(Surah Yunus: 15)

Seven: Anything that contradicts the Qur’an is not to be followed at all.

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“Follow what has been sent down to you from your Lord, and do not follow any other patrons besides Him.” —(Surah Al-A‘raf: 3)

This is Islam’s comprehensive conviction concerning the Majestic Qur’an, and belief in every part of it is essential. Whoever lacks conviction in even one part of it can never follow the Qur’an correctly and completely. Rather, such a person will stray from the straight path called Islam.

The Foundation Stones of Islamic Culture

Belief in one Book and one Messenger; obedience to and following him; reshaping one’s mentality according to the mold fashioned by him; deriving the entire creed, worship, morality, transactions, and social regulations from that one source; and uniting the whole Muslim community through that faith, obedience, and following—these transform Islam into a permanent culture and make Muslims one nation despite all hereditary, linguistic, racial, and geographical differences. Of course, differences in knowledge and intellect, exploration and investigation, viewpoints, and inclinations may lead to differences in deriving laws from the verses of the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Messenger, and in understanding their meaning and objectives. But these differences concern only minor and trivial matters; they do not turn the various schools of jurisprudence and theology into separate religions, nor their followers into separate nations. The true foundation of the Islamic millah is to accept Muhammad (peace be upon him) as Allah’s Messenger and the sole figure to be followed, to acknowledge the Majestic Qur’an as Allah’s Book and the sole law-book, and to proclaim both of these as the source of the entire creed and law. Those who agree on this fundamental matter constitute one nation, however much they may differ among themselves on minor issues. And those who do not agree on this fundamental matter are, in the Qur’an’s view, a different nation, however many nations they may divide themselves into.

In fact, the Qur’an is the complete compilation of all the matters upon which the foundation of Islam rests. Whoever has believed in the Qur’an has also believed in Allah, His angels, His Books, His prophets, and the Hereafter, because the detailed account of this entire body of faith is found in the Qur’an. And the assured benefit of ‘Iman bil-Qur’an’ (faith in the Qur’an) is that a person attains complete faith. Likewise, all the basic principles and fundamental ordinances of Islamic Shariah are mentioned in the Glorious Qur’an, and the Lawgiver has clarified those principles and ordinances through His own words and deeds. Therefore, whoever, with sound faith, declares the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Messenger to be laws that must be followed in every aspect of life is certainly a Muslim in terms of both belief and practice. The totality of such faith and observance of the law is called Islam. Wherever these two things are present, Islam will also be present; and wherever these two are absent, Islam will also be absent.

7.

Faith in the Last Day

The Last Day means the life after death. For this reason, it is also called the life of the Hereafter and the afterlife. Perhaps no page of the Glorious Qur’an can be found without some mention of the Hereafter. This subject has been discussed in various ways and forms and firmly implanted in people’s hearts. Arguments and proofs have been presented concerning its truth. A detailed account of it has been given. Its importance has been explained. People have been called upon to believe in it. It has been stated in clear terms: whoever does not believe in this final life, all his deeds are rendered worthless:

“Indeed, whoever declares Our signs to be false and denies being brought before the tribunal in the Hereafter—all his deeds have become worthless.” —(Surah al-A‘raf: 147)

“Indeed, ruined are those who have declared false the news of their meeting with Allah.” —(Surah al-An‘am: 31)

Indeed, the belief in the Hereafter that has been presented with such importance may be regarded as the answer to certain questions that naturally arise in the human mind.

Certain Natural Questions

People experience more sorrow than happiness and more hardship and distress than comfort. It is quite natural that whatever hurts a person’s feelings more deeply activates his power of thought to a greater degree. When we acquire something, we do not think, in our happiness, about where it came from, how it came, or how long it will last. But when something is lost to us, the shock of that loss lashes our intellect like a powerful whip, and we begin to wonder: How was it lost? Where did it go? Where is it now? Will it ever be found again? That is why the question of life and its emergence does not matter to us as much as the question of death and what follows it. Although, when we look at the stage of the world and our own existence upon it, questions certainly arise in our minds: What kind of commotion is this? How was it created? Who created it? But all this is merely a passing thought. Except for distinguished and deeply reflective people, ordinary people do not concern themselves with such matters. Death, on the other hand, and its bitterness must be faced by every human being. In every person’s life there come many occasions when, before his own eyes, he sees relatives, family members, friends, and loved ones die. The helpless and weak die, and the powerful and mighty also die. Tragic deaths occur, and deaths that serve as lessons are also witnessed. Seeing everyone proceed in this way, every person becomes firmly convinced that he too must travel along this road. It would perhaps be impossible to find anyone who, after witnessing such scenes, is not deeply stirred by questions about death—what death is, where a person goes after passing through this door, what lies behind it, and, indeed, whether anything truly exists at all.

This is a common question that everyone, ordinary and extraordinary alike, considers. From a simple farmer to a great philosopher and scientist, everyone reflects on this matter. Yet there are several more questions related to it that continue to prick the minds of almost every thoughtful person, and the many bitter experiences of life intensify that pricking. The few years of our life in this world, every moment and every instant of it, are spent in one activity or another, in one effort or another. What we regard as stillness is also a kind of movement. What we regard as idleness is also a kind of activity. In each of these activities, it is absolutely necessary that good deeds produce good results and evil deeds produce evil results. The benefits of righteous efforts and the harmful consequences of unrighteous efforts should certainly become manifest. But in this worldly life, do we receive the outcome of all our efforts, the results of all our endeavors, and the recompense for all our actions? A wrongdoer has spent his entire life engaged in evil deeds. Without doubt, he has suffered the consequences of some of those deeds in this world. One misdeed has caused him to fall ill; another has entangled him in sorrow, suffering, calamity, and unrest. Yet he has not suffered the full consequences of many of his evil deeds in this world. Many of his misdeeds have remained hidden from public view, and consequently he has not even been disgraced or humiliated for them. And even if he was disgraced, what recompense was made for the harm and loss suffered by the poor person whom he wronged? Will the oppression and persecution inflicted by this wrongdoer, and the patience and steadfastness of the helpless oppressed, then come to nothing? Will none of their consequences ever become manifest?

The situation regarding righteous deeds is similar. Many righteous people spent their entire lives doing good, yet did not receive their full benefits in this world. On the contrary, some of their good deeds brought them disgrace and humiliation instead. They were persecuted for certain good deeds and subjected to severe punishment. Some righteous deeds did not become known to the world at all. Did all the good deeds of these unfortunate people, then, go to waste? After such arduous labor and effort, they attained peace of mind—is that alone a sufficient result?

This question concerns only the individual and the person as an individual. But there is another question concerning the fate of nations, classes, things, and the entire world. We see human beings dying and other human beings being born in their place. Trees, plants, animals, and birds are disappearing, while other trees, plants, animals, and birds are coming into being in their place. But will this cycle of birth and death continue indefinitely in this manner? Will it not come to an end somewhere? This entire world-machine is being operated according to a particular order with the help of air, water, earth, light, heat, and the forces of nature. Are all these things imperishable? Has no lifespan been appointed for them? Will no change ever begin in their order, discipline, and system of arrangement?

Islam has provided a sound solution to all these questions. In fact, belief in the life of the Hereafter is the natural answer to these questions. But before discussing this solution, its truth, and its moral and civilizational consequences, it is necessary to examine how successful human beings themselves have been in their efforts to solve these questions.

Denial of the Life of the Hereafter

Some say that whatever is meant by life ends with this worldly life alone. Death means complete destruction and annihilation; after that, there is no such thing as consciousness of life, feeling, or the consequences of deeds.

“They say, ‘There is nothing but our first death, and we will not be resurrected.’”—(Surah Dukhan: 34–35)

“These people say: ‘There is nothing but our life in this world. We live and die only here, and none destroys us except the passage of time.’” — (Surah Al-Jathiyah: 24)

On the contrary, this cosmic machine will continue to run forever exactly as it is running now. Its order and discipline are such that it can never be disrupted.

Those who make such statements do not say this on the basis of any source of knowledge from which they have learned the demonstrable fact that there is truly nothing after death and that this cosmic machine is genuinely indestructible. Rather, they say it solely on the basis of their sense perception. The reason for their conclusion is that they have not perceived any state after death, nor have they seen any sign that the order of the universe is going to be disrupted. But the question is: Is merely failing to perceive something sufficient proof for denying it? Does our perception, then, indicate the existence of things, and does the absence of perception indicate their nonexistence? If that is so, I would say: A thing I perceive comes into existence precisely when I perceive it, and when it passes beyond my perception, its natural disappearance also occurs. The river I had seen flowing came into existence when I saw it flowing, and when it disappeared from my sight, its existence also became extinguished. Would any intelligent person accept such a statement of mine as correct? If not, then how can any intelligent person accept as true the claim that, since the state after death has not come within the reach of our observation and experience, there is therefore no state at all after death?

Moreover, just as it is wrong to draw conclusions about death and destruction solely on the basis of sense perception, so there is no basis for conclusions about life and existence that are drawn solely with the help of sense perception. If the conclusion that this cosmic order is eternal and indestructible is correct merely because we have not seen it become disrupted, then I too can look at a sturdy building and say that it will stand forever, because I have never seen it collapse, nor have I noticed any crack indicating that it will collapse in the future. Will my line of reasoning be acceptable to intelligent people?

The Effects of Disbelief in the Hereafter on Character:

Philosophers and scientists are in fact almost unanimous that this cosmic order will certainly be disrupted one day. There is probably no one left among scholars today who advocates the ancient doctrine of the world’s eternality. Nevertheless, there are still many people who call death the final destruction, and the aforementioned irrational assumption is the basis of their doctrine. Even setting aside its irrationality, it is an undeniable fact that this doctrine can never bring peace of mind to people. Rather, when people observe the events of life, most of the questions that arise in their minds remain unanswered by this doctrine. Above all, if the foundation of human life and character is established upon this doctrine, it will inevitably face two conditions. First, if circumstances are adverse, this doctrine will cause tremendous despair, frustration, and loss of enthusiasm to weigh upon people. When a person sees no result of his good deeds in this world, his capacity for action will become weak and dormant. When he sees no means of redressing injustice and oppression, his morale will collapse. When he sees the growth and spread of wickedness, misconduct, and oppression in the world, he will naturally think that, in creation, success and prosperity belong only to wickedness, while goodness and righteous deeds bring nothing but decline. Conversely, when circumstances are favorable, this doctrine will turn a person into a self-worshipping animal. He will think that only a day spent in luxury and enjoyment is worthwhile. If he is deprived of any of the world’s pleasures and enjoyments, he will have no other life to return to in which he can make up for it. Thus, he will perpetrate oppression and persecution without restraint, seize people’s rights, and not hesitate to commit even the vilest acts to secure his own welfare and satisfy his desires. In the thinking of such a person, at most only those good deeds, courtesy, and decency will have a place that bring him fame, reputation, honor, or some other worldly benefit. Similarly, he will regard as crimes and sins only those offenses and acts of immorality whose consequences appear as some worldly punishment, physical suffering, or material loss. In his view, performing good deeds whose benefits will not appear in this world will be nothing but foolishness. And acts of wickedness whose harm will not be suffered in this world will, in his view, be considered virtually meritorious.

If the moral system of an entire society were established upon such a doctrine and mentality, its entire moral outlook would change. Its whole moral system would be founded on selfishness and self-worship. There, good deeds would become synonymous with worldly benefit, while wickedness would simply mean material loss. A lie would be considered a sin only if it caused worldly harm; if it served as a means of benefit, it would be deemed a perfectly virtuous act. Honesty would be a virtue if it served as a means of gaining worldly benefit, but if it were harmful, nothing could be a greater evil than it. Adultery would be regarded as a blessing for luxury and enjoyment, and would be considered objectionable only if it were harmful to health. In short, where there is neither fear nor hope of any good or evil consequence after this worldly life, people will focus only on the results of actions that become manifest in this world. As a result, such a change will occur in the moral values of their actions as can never be suitable for any civilized society. Indeed, it would be more accurate to say that, with such moral standards, a human group has no option but to sink to a level even lower than that of animals.

Someone may say that, for punishment and reward, worldly material and physical gains and losses are not the only considerations; rather, there is also a force called conscience within human beings. Its anguish and cries are themselves sufficient punishment in this world for wickedness, while its peace is sufficient reward for a person’s good deeds. But I would say that there are many wicked acts in this world whose material benefit leads people to become willing to endure the pangs of conscience; and, for many good deeds, people have to make such sacrifices that the peace of conscience alone cannot be sufficient reward. Secondly, if we reflect on the nature of conscience, it becomes clear that its function is not to create any moral ideology. Rather, as a result of a particular kind of education and training, a moral ideal enters the human mind, and the person’s conscience begins to support that ideal. This is why a Hindu’s conscience feels troubled by matters that cause no distress to a Muslim’s conscience. Therefore, if the moral ideology of a society changes, and its standards of good and evil also change, the direction of its conscience will change along with them. Its conscience will feel no distress over actions that the society lets pass as permissible, and it will feel no peace over actions that are not acknowledged as good deeds.

Reincarnation

The second group puts forward the doctrine of reincarnation. Its essence is this: death does not mean final annihilation; rather, it merely means a change of body. After leaving this body, the soul takes refuge in another body. The capacity that a person acquires in his first life through his own deeds and inclinations determines the suitability of his second body—or, more accurately, his second cage. If his deeds are evil and consequently create inferior abilities within him, his soul will descend to a lower animal or plant level. And if, through good deeds, he can develop good abilities, his soul will rise toward a higher level. In short, according to this doctrine, punishment and reward are confined entirely to this world and this material realm. Souls continually change the cages of this world only to experience the consequences of their previous deeds.

At one time this doctrine was very popular. Several centuries before Jesus (peace be upon him), philosophers such as Pythagoras and Empedocles advocated it in Greece. Some influence of it can also be observed in the ancient history of Egypt. Reincarnation had also entered among the Jews as a result of outside influence. At present, however, this doctrine is found in religions of Indian origin (such as Brahmanism, Buddhism, Jainism, and so on), or among uncivilized or semi-civilized peoples in West Africa, South Africa, central Australia, Indonesia, and North and South America. All other civilized peoples have rejected it. For the knowledge that humanity has acquired so far, through the development of reason and intellect, about the world and its way of life denies all the foundations of reincarnation. If we look at the history of this doctrine within the religions of Indian origin themselves, we find that in ancient Vedic India there was the belief that after death a person attained another life, which was completely comfortable for the righteous and completely painful for wrongdoers. Then, suddenly, a change began to occur in this doctrine, and in the literature of later periods in India, reincarnation came to be found as a philosophical belief. The cause of this change has not yet been investigated. Some researchers believe that this idea came to the Aryans from the Dravidians. Others say that it had existed among the lower classes of the Aryans themselves. A vast edifice of later conjecture has been built upon it. Similarly, although Buddhist literature contains an extensive account of reincarnation, it did not exist in the early period of this religion. Ancient literature tells us that, at the beginning, Buddhist belief held that life was a kind of river flowing continuously through cycles and changes. This idea advanced and took the form that the same soul and the same life were present throughout the universe, changing from form to form and from cage to cage. From this it becomes clear that, in the beginning, the Indian peoples altered the knowledge they had received from revelation and inspiration and invented a philosophical, enigmatic religious doctrine. This doctrine was entirely a product of their own imagination.

Intellectual Criticism

There is no opportunity here for an extensive discussion of reincarnation. Nevertheless, it is necessary to shed at least some light on the matter in order to indicate that the foundation of reincarnation is wholly contrary to reason and intellect and opposed to all the human knowledge and sciences acquired about life and the world. Reincarnationists believe that every individual receives the recompense for his deeds in this very world: through good deeds he ascends to a higher level of life, and through evil deeds he descends to a lower level. For example, if a human being does evil in this life, he will descend to the animal and plant level. And if an animal does good deeds in its life, it will ascend to the human level. In other words, animal and plant life is the consequence of the evil deeds of human life, while human life is the result of the good deeds of plant and animal life. Put differently, those who are human today are human because previously they performed good deeds in plant and animal life. And those who are plants and animals today are in this condition because they performed evil deeds in human life. To accept this doctrine, several further matters must be assumed, all of which are contrary to reason and intellect. For example:

First: No beginning can be determined for this cycle of reincarnation. For in order to become human, one must previously have been a plant or an animal. And in order to become a plant or an animal, one must previously have been human. Reason and intellect declare such a beginningless cycle to be unreal.

Second: If the cycle of reincarnation is infinite, then it must be accepted that not only the souls that repeatedly change, but also the material things that provide cages for the souls, will be infinite. This earth, this solar system, and all the active forces within it will likewise be infinite. But reason demands—and scientific research also bears witness—that this solar system is neither without a beginning nor infinite.

Third: It must be accepted that whatever distinguishes plants, animals, and the human species does so only in terms of their physical forms, not in terms of their lives. For the life that, upon entering a human cage, acquired reason, intellect, and the power of thought, became devoid of intellect upon entering an animal’s cage. And upon entering a plant’s cage, poor thing, it lost even the power of will and action.

Fourth: Only those actions that are performed thoughtfully and consciously can be called good or evil, virtuous or vicious. From this perspective, human actions may be virtuous or vicious, and people may accordingly be punished or rewarded; but just as it is unreasonable to call the actions of plants and animals virtuous or vicious, there is likewise no rational basis for punishing or rewarding them. To reach such a conclusion, one must also accept that plants and animals possess the capacity to act thoughtfully and consciously.

Fifth: If the next life is the result of the deeds performed in our present life, then naturally the result of evil deeds should be evil. And if we receive that evil result in the second life, how could good deeds possibly be performed on the basis of that evil result? Naturally, it would lead only to the performance of evil deeds, whose result in the third life would be even worse. In this way, the souls of evildoers would continue descending toward lower and lower levels through the cycle of transmigration. They could never hope to rise again. The other implication is that a human being may become an animal, but it is impossible for an animal to become a human being. The question now is: As a result of what good deeds did the people who are human beings today become human, and where did they come from?¹ [For a more detailed critique of transmigration, see note 30 on Surah al-A‘raf in Tafhim al-Qur’an.]

The Impact of Transmigration on Society and Civilization

Moreover, sound judgment cannot accept transmigration for many other reasons. That is why, as people continue to advance intellectually and in knowledge and science, transmigration is increasingly being abandoned. Indeed, today this doctrine is prevalent mainly among those peoples who are most backward in intellectual and scientific development. At the same time, it must be acknowledged that transmigration suppresses people’s courage and morale and dulls the vital consciousness that drives progress. This doctrine has given rise to the principle of nonviolence, which is extremely destructive to people’s individual and national life. The warrior spirit of a nation that believes in such a principle naturally disappears. Its physical strength becomes enfeebled. Rather, it is deprived of the finest impulses that develop physical strength. The people of that nation become weak not only physically but mentally as well. As a result of this twofold weakness, they remain defeated and subjugated, and ultimately either disappear from the face of the earth or merge into other powerful nations.

The second harm of transmigration is that it is an eternal enemy of civilization and culture. It draws people toward asceticism and renunciation of the world. Transmigrationists believe that desire is what makes the soul sullied by sin. For this reason, the soul is repeatedly confined in a bodily cage and made to suffer the consequences of its own deeds. Therefore, if a person suppresses desire and does not entangle himself in the world and its labyrinth, the soul can attain release from the cycle of transmigration. This is the only path to liberation. For once a person becomes involved in worldly affairs, it is impossible for him to escape desire and its demands. The inevitable consequence is that those who yearn for liberation must become ascetics and withdraw to forests, jungles, mountains, or wildernesses; while those unwilling to do so must abandon hope of liberation and prepare to revolve through the levels of animals and plants. Can such a belief possibly contribute in the slightest to the advancement of civilization and culture? And can any nation that holds such a belief achieve progress in the world?

There is no doubt that, in some respects, transmigration is preferable at least to regarding death as final destruction or eternal departure. For human beings have a natural desire for permanence, and transmigration can partially satisfy that desire. At the same time, since this doctrine contains the ideas of punishment and reward and of the consequences of good and evil deeds, it could, on that basis, support a sound and robust moral order. But we have repeatedly pointed to this undeniable truth as well: a doctrine that contradicts knowledge and reason and obstructs the advancement of civilization and culture cannot maintain a firm hold over people’s minds and intellects—it cannot remain established with equal force at every stage of scientific and intellectual development and at every phase of the advancement of civilization and culture

When its hold cannot remain established, its mere existence as a philosophical doctrine on the pages of books cannot in the slightest contribute to the stability and strength of the moral order. It will be beneficial only when it is established not on the pages of books but in people’s hearts, and when they fully believe in it.

Secondly, this doctrine has lost its intrinsic moral value when considered in terms of its ultimate consequences. For it leads a person to believe that the cycle of transmigration is just like a machine: the consequence predetermined for every action will inevitably manifest itself, and its effects and results cannot be changed by remorse, forgiveness, or expiation. In such a situation, once a person has committed a sin, he will become entangled in the cycle of sin forever; then he will think: Since I must eventually become an animal or a plant, why should I not fully enjoy all the comforts, pleasures, and indulgences of this human life?

Belief in the Hereafter

Two views concerning the fate of the world and humanity have been presented above. It has also become clear that, just as these two views are not sound from the standpoint of reason and judgment, neither do they provide a complete and satisfactory answer to the questions that naturally arise in the human mind upon seeing the signs of decline and destruction in the world. Moreover, they lack the necessary qualifications to support a sound and firmly established moral system. Let us now consider the third view, which is as follows:

First: Just as every object in the world has a distinct lifespan, after the expiration of which disorder and disruption naturally arise within it, so too does this universe have a fixed lifespan. Once it expires, this entire cosmic machine will be shattered, and another world will take its place, whose natural laws will be entirely different from those of this world.

Second: After this universe has been shattered, Allah Almighty will establish a court of judgment, where everything will be accounted for. On that day, human beings will receive a new physical life. They will appear before their Lord

There, all the actions performed during their former lives will be accurately examined and weighed. Their cases will be judged with truth and justice. They will be rewarded for good deeds and punished for evil deeds.

Third: Human beings’ worldly life is essentially only a prelude to their life in the Hereafter. This life is temporary, while that life is eternal. This one is incomplete, whereas that one is perfect. The full consequences of all actions do not become manifest in this temporary life. Every seed cannot bear fruit in this incomplete world in accordance with its natural development. This incompleteness will attain fulfillment in that second life. Moreover, whatever has remained fruitless and futile here will reveal its true consequences and significance there. Therefore, people should not focus only on the incomplete and sometimes deceptive results of their actions as they appear in this worldly life. Rather, they should assess the worth of their actions with a view to the complete chain of consequences.

In fact, this is the view presented by the Prophets of Allah. The Glorious Qur’an has also called humanity to it in emphatic terms. Before discussing the moral consequences of this view and its status and importance in Islamic culture, however, we wish to examine the arguments and proofs behind it and the extent to which reason and judgment accept it.

The Sound Method of Investigating Intellectual Truth

In reality, the question of whether there is any life after death concerns matters beyond the limits of our sensory perception and experience. At most, we perceive that a person who, only a few moments ago, was breathing and acting according to his own will has now been deprived of every sign of life. Something has disappeared from his body—something that had infused this inert, motionless, inactive matter with the power necessary for development, intelligence, and movement. The question may now arise: Where did that thing go? Does it continue to exist after becoming separated from the body, or has it disappeared? And will its connection ever again be restored with this body or with any other body like it? With the help of our sense perception and experience-based knowledge, we cannot give either a negative or an affirmative answer to this question. For we have never actually perceived that thing, nor do we perceive it now. It must therefore be understood from the outset that science—that is, practical wisdom or knowledge derived from experience—has no connection whatsoever with this question. When science cannot reach a positive conclusion about the matter, it has no right to reach a negative conclusion either. Science can say only this: “I do not know what happens after death.” But if, departing from fairness and principle, it claims, “Since I do not know what happens after death, I therefore know that nothing happens after death,” it will certainly have crossed the limits of rationalism.

After sensory experience, the second source of knowledge for us is reflection (Arabic *****). Human beings have always refused to confine themselves within the limits of things apprehended by the senses. Their mental nature has demanded, through the use of the power of thought, knowledge of the hidden truths lying beyond the realm of sensory perception. This intellectual inquiry is called reflection. It has two methods:

The first method is to close one’s eyes to the signs found in the world and in human existence itself, or to act with considerable recklessness, reach conclusions through purely intellectual considerations, and ultimately continue the mind’s mad race. This is the domain of philosophy based solely on conjecture, and this dark station is the source of all confusion. It is from here that the philosophical doctrines through which people become lost in a world of imagination have arisen. It is from here, too, that various, mutually divergent, and mutually contradictory doctrines concerning Allah, the angels, the order of the universe, and the life of the Hereafter have emerged—nothing more than the result of groping in the dark and proceeding by guesswork, conjecture, and imagination.

The second method is to look attentively at the nature of the universe and one’s own existence, observe the signs that serve as torches guiding one along the path of truth, and, with sound judgment and accurate powers of thought, use these lights to reach the fundamental truths concealed behind those signs. Through this method, science and philosophy advance together. Of course, this too is not a certain path to reaching the ultimate truth; but apart from heavenly guidance, it is the only means available to human beings for seeking the truth. With the help of this means, it is possible to reach the truth, or at least come close to it. Naturally, this requires that a person possess keen powers of observation, pure and sharp perception, and abundant ability and talent for thought and research. According to philosophical doctrine, human development and progress depend on the combination of observation and reflection. None of the doctrines on which philosophy is founded today, nor any of the principles without belief in which no student of science can take even a single step forward, depends on mere experience and observation alone. Every doctrine and principle is founded on the intellectual concepts for which experience and observation are used as material. The natural law, the principles of attraction and repulsion, the chain of causation, the principle of relativity, the theory of evolution, the principle of the survival of the fittest, and the other principles and laws in which the great philosophers believe are all the result of reflection and research concerning visible and natural signs, together with the application of intellectual conjecture. Otherwise, no one to this day has made a sensory observation of any of these laws or principles.

Moreover, just as much conviction as an ordinary person gains from the sensory observation of an object, a philosopher gains regarding a conclusion derived from his own observation and conjecture. Nevertheless, even the greatest philosopher cannot compel an unbeliever to accept that conclusion. For unless a person observes visible phenomena and external signs from the same particular perspective as the philosopher, and employs the power of thought and research in the same manner as philosophers, the only way for him to enter the path of philosophy and attain progress and advancement therein may be to place his trust in the philosopher’s intelligence and discernment, abandon the conclusions reached through his own observation and reflection, and place an unseeing faith in the conclusions accepted by the philosopher.

This premise must be firmly established in the heart. For it is necessary to grasp this premise in order to understand the Qur’an’s descriptions and line of reasoning concerning supernatural matters. The failure to understand it has given rise to many kinds of mistaken notions. We shall now turn our attention to the Qur’an’s statements concerning the life of the Hereafter.

The Unbelievers’ Question Concerning the Life of the Hereafter

When the Qur’an presented the doctrine of the life of the Hereafter, the unbelievers raised a question against it. Their question was exactly like the question posed by today’s unbelievers. In reality, only one question can be raised concerning this matter. It is this: Is resurrection after death not completely beyond reason and comprehension? How can we accept that a dead person who has decayed and dissolved into the earth, whose limbs and organs have been scattered here and there through the soil, air, and water, will come to life again?

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“They said: When we have become merged into the earth, will we then be created anew?”—(Surah As-Sajdah: 10)

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“They said: When the flesh has decayed and only our bones remain, and we have crumbled to pieces, will we then be raised up as a new creation?

”—(Surah Bani Isra’il: 49)

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“When we die and become mingled with the earth, will we then be raised again? Such a return is beyond reason and conception.”—(Surah Al-Qaf: 3)

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“Who will bring him to life again after the bones have rotted and decayed?”—(Surah Ya-Sin: 78)

The Qur’an’s Line of Reasoning

In addressing this doubt, the Qur’an has adopted a remarkable line of reasoning. It is this: first of all, the Qur’an has invited people to observe the signs of Allah’s power and to reflect and deliberate upon them.

It says:

“We shall show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves, until it becomes clear to them that this is the truth.” —(Surah Ha-Mim as-Sajdah: 53)

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“Do they not reflect upon the management of the heavens and the earth?

”—(Surah al-A‘raf: 185)

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“And how many signs are there in the heavens and the earth which they pass by, yet they do not reflect upon them.” (Surah Yusuf: 105)

This indication means that human beings have not been given the power to observe with their eyes the things concealed from their senses, or to determine their nature through experience. However, if one observes with open eyes the signs presented before him day and night, observes the system governing the heavens and the earth, looks at his own creation, and reflects upon these sensory and observed facts, striving to reach the ultimate truth, he will easily understand that everything stated is accurate, true, and rational.

The Possibility of Life in the Hereafter

Then the Qur’an presents before the people those things among these outward phenomena and external signs that are perfectly clear, and uses them to argue that the matter which you regard as beyond reason and comprehension, however impossible it may seem to your reason and understanding, is in reality not impossible at all.

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“It is Allah who has raised the heavens without visible pillars, then established Himself upon the Throne. He has subjected the sun and the moon to His command. Each of them runs for a specified term. He manages the affairs of the entire universe. He makes His signs clear, so that you may be certain of meeting your Lord

.” (Surah Ar-Ra‘d: 2)

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“Is creating you more difficult, or creating the heaven? Allah has indeed created (such a great thing).”—(Surah al-Nazi‘at: 27)

These mighty heavenly signs establish the truth that Allah alone has created this immense universe. He has bound the great planets and stars within the constraints of their own laws. It is His power that operates this vast universe through an orderly system. Consequently, no planet can deviate from its orbit even by a hair’s breadth; nor can they depart even for a moment from their appointed lifespans. It is His infinite power that has established the layers of the universe upon foundations that are invisible, imperceptible, and beyond human reach. Could anyone conceive that such a powerful and mighty Allah is incapable of destroying once and bringing back to life a trivial creature like man? How great an indication of caprice and folly would such an idea about Him be?

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“Do they not see that Allah, who created the heavens and the earth, is capable of creating human beings like them too?”—(Surah Bani Isra’il: 99)

After the heavens, the Qur’an draws our attention to the signs in our nearest environment, that is, the signs of the earth:

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“Travel throughout the earth and see how Allah originated creation.

And that Allah gives things life again. Surely Allah has power over all things.”—(Surah Al-Ankabut: 20)

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“And a sign for them is the dead earth: We have given it life and produced from it crops of which they eat.”—(Surah Ya-Sin: 33)

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“Look at the signs of Allah’s mercy: how He gives life to the earth after its death. Surely He will certainly give life to the dead as well. He has power over all things.”—(Surah Ar-Rum: 50)

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“And among His signs is this: you see the earth lying dry. But when We send down water, it immediately stirs and becomes adorned with blossoms and fruits. So He who gives life to the earth will give life to the dead as well.

Surely Allah has power over all things.”—(Surah Ha-Mim As-Sajdah: 39)

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“Allah alone directs the winds. Then they carry away the clouds.

Then We drive those clouds toward a land devoid of water, vegetation and greenery. Thereafter, He brings that dead and barren earth to life with the help of rain. Thus must you too be brought to life (on the Day of Resurrection).” (Surah Fatir: 9)

Then the Qur’an says: Close your eyes to everything else and reflect deeply on your own existence. You will then see that the proof of Allah’s power to give life to the dead is present within you yourself.

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“Indeed, a period of immense time passed over man when he was not a thing worthy of mention.” (Surah al-Dahr: 1)

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“You were dead, and Allah gave you life. He will then cause you to die, bring you to life again, and thereafter you will be returned to Him.” (Surah al-Baqarah: 28)

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“If you are in doubt about being resurrected after death, then know that We created you from an inanimate substance like earth.” —(Surah al-Hajj: 5)

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“He said: ‘Who will revive them after the bones have decayed?’ Say: ‘He will revive them who gave them life the first time.’” —(Surah Yasin: 78–79)

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“Tell them: ‘Become stones, iron, or any other thing which, according to your view, is beyond the possibility of being brought to life.’ Then they will ask: ‘Who will bring us back to life?’ Say: ‘He will—’

the One who created you the first time.” —(Surah Bani Isra’il: 50–51)

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“Indeed, We created man from an extract of clay. Then We placed him as a sperm-drop in a secure place. Then We turned the sperm-drop into a clinging clot, and We turned the clot into a lump of flesh. Then We created bones from the lump, and We clothed the bones with flesh. Then We brought him into being as another creation. So blessed is Allah, the best of creators. Then, after that, you will surely die. Then, on the Day of Resurrection, you will surely be raised again. —(Surah Al-Mu’minun: 12–16)

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“Was man not merely a drop of sperm that was emitted into the mother’s womb? Then he became a clinging clot. Then Allah gave him human form and fashioned him in a well-proportioned manner. Then He divided him into two kinds and made them male and female pairs. Is such an Allah not capable of bringing the dead to life?” —(Surah Al-Qiyamah: 37–40)

After presenting this clear and obvious evidence, close to our observation and sensory experience, the Holy Qur’an presents an argument rooted precisely in common sense. It says that recreating something in its original form after it has become scattered and disintegrated is easier than creating it from a state of absolute nonexistence. Therefore, if the power that was not incapable of accomplishing the more difficult task is capable of doing so, why would it be incapable of accomplishing the easier one? If a person is capable of inventing and building a motor, can it be conceivable that, after separating and disassembling its individual parts, he would be unable to join them together again? This example makes it clear that the Master-Craftsman of the universe who created you from absolute nonexistence cannot possibly be incapable of recreating you after death.

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“Do they not see how Allah originates creation? Then He will repeat it. Indeed, that is easy for Allah.” —(Surah Al-Ankabut: 19)

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“He is the One who originates creation, then He repeats it; and repeating it is easier for Him.” —(Surah Ar-Rum: 27)

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“Were We incapable of creating [them] the first time? (No, they do not deny the first creation,) but they are in doubt about a new creation.” —(Surah Qaf: 15)

A doubt nevertheless remains: how will the bodily parts of the dead, once destroyed and vanished, become their former bodies again? Someone may have drowned, and his bones and flesh may have become food for fish and aquatic creatures. Someone may have died in a fire, or been burned after death, and his entire body may have been reduced to ashes and smoke. Someone may have been buried in the earth, and his body may have dissolved into the soil. How, then, can his former body be restored and the same former soul breathed into it? People have attempted to resolve this doubt by saying that, in order to give the soul bodily life, it is not essential to restore its former body. Rather, the soul may remain the same while it is given another body resembling its former one. But the Qur’an says that Allah is indeed capable of restoring the former body. The bodily parts of human beings have not simply vanished into nothingness; rather, each of their scattered components still exists somewhere or other. Their parts are dispersed in various ways through the air, water, soil, the bodies of plants or animals, and mineral substances. Allah’s knowledge is so all-encompassing that He is aware of the location of every one of their parts. His power and might are so boundless that He is capable of gathering those scattered bodily parts together and restoring their former form.

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“We know what the earth consumes of them, and with Us is a Book in which every thing is preserved in record.” —(Surah Qaf: 4)

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“With Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. He knows whatever is on land and in the sea. Even a leaf that falls, He knows it. There is no grain in the darknesses of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry, that is not recorded in a clear Book.” —(Surah Al-An‘am: 59)

Everything said above is intended to remove the doubts lying at the root of disbelief in the Hereafter. Of course, the fundamental reason for disbelief is not that disbelievers have conclusively and clearly learned, through experience, observation, or any other certain source of knowledge, that life after death is impossible. The sole basis of their disbelief is that resurrection after death is incomprehensible to them. They have never witnessed such a scene; rather, they have always seen that once someone dies, he never returns. Therefore, when they are told that one who has died will return again, they consider this unnatural statement unreal, impossible, and beyond the reach of intellect and imagination. But as soon as one advances even a single step along the path of reflection and investigation, these doubts and misgivings disappear, and what previously seemed impossible appears perfectly possible. People regard certain things as possible—or rather, as real and actual—because they are accustomed to observing their occurrence. A seed enters the soil, germinates, and manifests itself as a huge tree with branches and foliage. A drop of semen reaches the mother’s womb and emerges from it as a fully formed human being. Water is produced through the combination of two gases, and according to a definite pattern, water repeatedly becomes vapor and vapor becomes water. In the vast expanse of empty space, billions of planets and stars race along like balls, while remaining closely connected to one another without any material link. Not the slightest discrepancy occurs anywhere in the movements, revolutions, and orbits of these planets and stars. People are very accustomed to witnessing all these things, and therefore consider them ordinary. But if these things had not appeared before them, and they had instead become accustomed to some other system, they would regard these very things as beyond intellect and imagination and would firmly deny their possibility. For example, let us suppose that no vegetation grows on Mars. If its inhabitants were told that burying a seed weighing one masha in the soil would cause it to become a huge tree, thousands—or even hundreds of thousands—of times larger than its original form, they would find this just as astonishing as the people of this world find resurrection after death. They too would reject it in exactly the same way. Yet it is clear that this verdict of impossibility would not be based on knowledge and information; nor would it be the result of a judgment grounded in ignorance and stupidity that had grasped the matter. Rather, it would result from the matter’s being beyond their comprehension. Disbelief in the Hereafter is exactly the same. If people understand the nature of astonishment and disbelief, they will naturally realize that a thing’s being beyond their intellect and conception is no proof of its impossibility or unreality. The things people are discovering today were, a hundred years ago, beyond human intellect and imagination. But today, actual events have proved that they were not inherently impossible. Similarly, the things people consider impossible today will become possible through human hands a hundred years from now, and actual events will prove that there is nothing impossible about them. Thus, when this is the nature of human intellect and of the mysteries lying beyond and within it, no thing can be declared impossible merely because it is beyond the comprehension of this limited intellect.

To establish the existence of anything hidden and beyond the reach of the senses, it is first necessary to establish its possibility. Therefore, the Noble Qur’an establishes the possibility of the Hereafter by dispelling all doubts and misgivings concerning it through incontrovertible arguments and proofs. As a second step, its necessity should then be established. Once this is done, the human intellect will readily accept that such a thing must indeed come to pass.

The Order of the Universe Is a Wise Order

Is this universe the creation of a wise being, or did it come into existence on its own, without any wisdom behind it? In reality, the necessity of life in the Hereafter depends entirely on the resolution of this question. The science-worshipping people of the present age say that no wise craftsman created this universal order. It came into existence by itself and is proceeding like an automated machine, with all its component parts—including human beings—working together. On the day the interaction between matter and energy comes to an end, this system will collapse and be shattered. It is perfectly clear that searching for any purpose or wisdom in an order operated by blind Nature, without knowledge, intellect, consciousness, willpower or wisdom, is utterly futile. For this reason, modern material science has not only placed the purposive causation of natural phenomena beyond its own limits, but has also declared such a mode of thought entirely irrelevant and meaningless. It has emphatically claimed that there is no purpose behind this universe or behind any of its objects and activities. For example, the eye does not exist for seeing; rather, seeing is merely the result of the particular arrangement of matter within the eye. Similarly, the brain is not the center of thought, feeling and consciousness; rather, thoughts and imaginings emanate from the brain just as bile is secreted from the liver. In fact, to call the natural and normal activities of material things their purpose, and to seek intelligence and wisdom in their creation, is nothing but sheer error.

If this doctrine is accepted, there remains no reasonable basis for acknowledging the necessity of any life after earthly life. For a universe whose affairs are being conducted by an ignorant, foolish and unconscious Nature, without any aim or purpose, can have no status higher than that of a toy. A universe and each of its things that are purposeless will be destroyed as soon as this purposelessness reaches its completion. It is utterly inconceivable that such a blind Nature could possess the quality of justice, or that one could expect any reckoning or equity from it. Even if, despite this, it were assumed that it possessed the quality of justice, human beings are still merely helpless puppets playing in its hands; far from being able to do anything by their own power, they do not in fact possess any power or will of their own. Therefore, they should not be held responsible for any good or evil deed—just as a motor is not held responsible for traveling along a straight or a winding road. Once the question of responsibility is discarded, the question of judgment, justice, peace and reward in this world also comes to an end—let alone acknowledging the necessity of a separate life for these purposes.

But this doctrine is entirely contrary to reason. No intellectual proof or scientific evidence whatsoever has been presented to establish it. In its support, it has so far been said, in essence: We do not see any creator or director of the universe, nor do we understand any purpose behind its creation. We see it moving and functioning without any creator, and it is impossible for us to know the purpose of this movement; nor do we see any need to know it. But not knowing the efficient and final causes of something does not prove that it has no efficient or final causes. Suppose that a child saw a printing press in operation. He could not understand for what purpose the machine was being operated. Therefore, he thought that it was merely a toy, running without any particular aim or purpose. He saw that, just as the machine produced sounds, its parts moved and the ground trembled, so paper was also being printed and coming out. He therefore concluded that just as those activities were the result of the machine’s operation, so the printed sheets emerging from it were a natural result of its movement. He could not understand that, among all the activities of the machine, there was only one actual task—namely, printing and producing the sheets—and that this was the very purpose for which the entire machine had been made. All the other activities were merely the natural consequences of its operation. His childish, inquisitive mind had not developed the capacity to understand the arrangement, construction and order of the machine’s parts. He could not understand that each part had been made in a particular form and attached in a particular place because that form and place were suitable for it, and that it was essential for the part to be in that form and position in order to perform its allotted function within the machine. For this reason, the immature child assumed that the machine had come into existence automatically through the joining together of pieces of iron. He lacked the advanced intellectual capacity to infer, from the machine’s varied operations and arrangement, that there must certainly be a wise Creator behind it—one who had made it according to an excellent method and a magnificent plan, leaving none of its parts inactive, useless, disjointed or unnecessary—and that something produced with such intelligence and wisdom could not be causeless, purposeless or meaningless. Now, if this foolish child, on the basis of his incomplete observation and immature thinking about the printing press, were to formulate the doctrine that the machine had no efficient or final cause, that no intelligence or wisdom had been expended in its creation, and that no lofty purpose stood behind its design, would any intelligent and mature adult accept this doctrine about the machine as correct and true?

If this is not true in the case of a printing press, how can it be true of the universal order, every atom and particle of which bears witness to the knowledge, intellect, willpower, wisdom and foresight of its Creator? A child of immature understanding and narrow vision may say whatever he pleases. But an intelligent person who has opened his eyes and observed the signs of this universe cannot say whatever he likes about the creation, purpose and governance of such a wise, well-arranged, orderly and perfectly planned system. In fact, he cannot entertain even for a moment the suspicion that such a system—within which not a single thing is causeless or meaningless, nothing is less or more than necessary, every part is perfectly suited to its place and purpose, and no deviation can be observed anywhere in its order—could have been created and operated without knowledge, intellect, wisdom or willpower.

A Wise Order Cannot Be Aimless and Meaningless

The arguments presented in the Qur’an Majid concerning the life in the Hereafter rest on this fundamental doctrine. Its essence is that the Creator of this universe is a Wise Being. None of His actions is free from wisdom and foresight, and no statement contrary to wisdom and foresight can be attributed to Him. After establishing this foundation, the Qur’an says

أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ {115} فَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ {116}

“Did you then think that We created you in vain and that you would not be returned to Us? Exalted is Allah, the True King; there is no deity but Him, the Lord of the Noble Throne.” (Surah al-Mu’minun: 115–116)

أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنسَانُ أَن يُتْرَكَ سُدًى {36}

“Does man think that he will be left without purpose?” (Surah al-Qiyamah: 36)

} وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَاعِبِينَ {38} مَا خَلَقْنَاهُمَا إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ {39} إِنَّ يَوْمَ الْفَصْلِ مِيقَاتُهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ {40}

“We did not create the heavens, the earth, and all that lies between them as a plaything. We created them only in accordance with wisdom, but most people do not know. Indeed, a time has been appointed for them until the Day of Judgment.” (Surah al-Dukhan: 38–40)

 أَوَلَمْ يَتَفَكَّرُوا فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ النَّاسِ بِلِقَاء رَبِّهِمْ لَكَافِرُونَ {8}

“Have they not reflected within themselves that Allah created the heavens, the earth, and all that lies between them with wisdom, and appointed a fixed term for them? Yet many people deny the meeting with their Lord.” —(Surah al-Rum: 8)

The verses cited above indicate that if this vast workshop of the heavens and the earth were to continue for only a short while and then be destroyed and vanish without any result or consequence, it would be a pointless and futile act—nothing more than a play and amusement. This can never be the work of a wise being. If people believe that Allah created this workshop and regard Allah as a wise Being, then, with the help of sound reason, they should also understand that nothing in creation has been created without purpose—nothing is destined to disappear fruitlessly and meaninglessly. In particular, the human being is the finest creation in the universe, Ashraf al-Makhlūqāt. His conscious self is the key to the evolution of this world and to the entire course of its movement. He has been endowed, with immeasurable wisdom, with knowledge, intellect, powers of thought, foresight, and willpower. Such a human being cannot have been created merely to live like a machine for a few years in this world and then be destroyed and vanish; the purpose of his creation cannot be so utterly futile.

What Should Be the Consequence of the World Order According to Wisdom?

The foregoing discussion has made it clear that the creation and administration of this universe are not a futile game or amusement; nothing in it is without cause or purpose. The second point is that, according to the demands of sound reason, what other consequence can this vast workshop have besides destruction and extinction? The detailed answer to this question is found in the Qur’an Majid. After hearing that answer, sound reason becomes completely reassured and satisfied. But before understanding this answer, it is essential to firmly establish certain matters in the heart.

One: All the signs of creation bear witness that the entire course of rotation and change in this system is directed toward evolution. The purpose of all its transformations is to lead the imperfection of things toward perfection and to bring their incomplete forms to completion.

Two: Since the principle of evolution operates in the form of change, every creation requires a dissolution. The creation of one form naturally entails the destruction or dissolution of the preceding form. The disappearance of an imperfect form marks the beginning of the creation of perfection. This cycle and change occur at every moment, but only after many hidden changes does a great, manifest change begin, in which a great, manifest dissolution takes place. In ordinary language, we call this second kind of dissolution “death” or decline. The period from the creation of a form until its death or final dissolution is called “life.”

Three: Every form requires a particular shelter or support suited to its condition. No form can dwell in a shelter that is unsuitable for its condition. For example, an animal’s body is unsuitable for the plant form. Similarly, the human essence is precisely entitled to the distinctive bodily structure that has been created for human beings. Therefore, in order to give anything a higher form, it is absolutely necessary to demolish the dwelling made for the inferior form and construct a dwelling suited to the new form.

Four: One who has properly understood the breadth of the principle of evolution in the various parts of the universe cannot possibly fail to perceive its extension over the entire world order. We cannot determine, merely by observing this system, how many systems existed before the process of creating the present world order began—systems that each completed its appointed lifespan, made way for a more advanced system, and through successive stages of evolution brought the process of creation to our present system. Likewise, this system is not the final system. When it reaches its possible perfection and no longer has the capacity to rise to a higher level of perfection, it too will be crushed and replaced by another system. The laws and regulations of that system will be different, and it too will possess the capacity to advance creation to a higher stage of perfection.

Five: A penetrating reflection on the present organization of the universe makes it clearly perceptible that this is an incomplete system and requires a more perfect arrangement. The fundamental realities (haqīqah) inherent in the substances of this system are so deeply obscured by material impurity that the fundamental realities have become matters of trivial imagination, while their material coverings have gained the status of the realities themselves. The more subtle a thing is and the freer it is from material impurity, the more concealed, veiled, and inaccessible to intellect and consciousness it is within this universal system. Here, solid material bodies have significance, but subtle and unmixed realities have none. Trees, stones, and the like can be weighed here, but this universal system has no means of measuring or weighing reason, thought and imagination, contemplation, desires and aspirations, calls and feelings, or foresight. Food can be weighed here, but there is no standard for weighing love and hatred. There is a system for measuring cloth, but no measure exists for gauging anger and envy. The value of money can be determined here, but it is impossible to determine the value of the ideas operating behind generosity and miserliness. This is a defect of the present universal system. Therefore, reason demands a system superior to it, in which the fundamental realities will appear clearly without depending on material coverings; in which the subtle will prevail over the gross, and the things that are concealed and veiled today will become luminous and more evident. Similarly, another defect of this world is that material laws and regulations hold sway here. As a result, only the outcomes of actions that conform to material laws and regulations become manifest. Outcomes corresponding to reason, foresight, and wisdom do not become manifest at all. When a fire breaks out here, all combustible things will burn; when water is poured, things capable of absorbing moisture and wetness will become wet. But when a good deed is performed, its result will not appear in the form of merit—which is its natural, rational consequence. Rather, in accordance with material laws and regulations, it will appear in a form that may be wrongdoing, even the complete opposite of merit. In view of these imperfections, reason naturally demands that a superior system be established after this one, in which intellectual laws and regulations will replace material laws and regulations, and in which the natural consequences of actions—unable to appear correctly in the present system because material laws and regulations prevail—will become manifest in their proper form.

The End of the Universal System

Having understood these preliminary points, we shall now see what answer to the fundamental question is found in the picture that the Wise Qur’an has drawn of the Resurrection and the resurrection of the Hereafter.

The Qur’an says:

مَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى

“We created the heavens, the earth, and all that lies between them in accordance with wisdom and for a specified term.”

—(Surah al-Ahqaf: 3)

وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ يَجْرِي لأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى

“He has subjected the sun and the moon to a particular law. All these continue for a specified time.”

—(Surah ar-Ra’d: 2)

Then it describes the state of the Resurrection as follows:

وَإِذَا الْقُبُورُ بُعْثِرَتْOوَإِذَا الْبِحَارُ فُجِّرَتْOوَإِذَا الْكَوَاكِبُ انتَثَرَOإِذَا السَّمَاء انفَطَرَتْO

“When the sky is split asunder, the stars are scattered, the seas burst forth, and the graves disgorge their contents.”

—(Al-Infitar: 1–4)

وَإِذَا الْجِبَالُ سُيِّرَتْOوَإِذَا النُّجُومُ انكَدَرَتْOإِذَا الشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ

“When the sun is veiled, the stars become disordered, and the mountains are set in motion.” —(Surah at-Takwir: 1–3)

وَإِذَا الْجِبَالُ نُسِفَتْ O وَإِذَا السَّمَاء فُرِجَتْ O فَإِذَا النُّجُومُ طُمِسَتْ

“When the stars will be dimmed, the sky will be split open, and the mountains will be blown away.” —(Surah al-Mursalat: 8–10)

وَجُمِعَ الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ O وَخَسَفَ الْقَمَرُOفَإِذَا بَرِقَ الْبَصَرُ

“When the eyes will burst, the moon will become dim, and the moon and the sun will become one.” —(Surah al-Qiyamah: 7–9)

وَحُمِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ وَالْجِبَالُ فَدُكَّتَا دَكَّةً وَاحِدَةً

“The earth and the mountains will be made to collide, and they will be crushed to pieces by a single blow.” —(Surah al-Haqqah: 14)

يَوْمَ تُبَدَّلُ الأَرْضُ غَيْرَ الأَرْضِ وَالسَّمَاوَاتُ وَبَرَزُواْ للّهِ الْوَاحِدِ الْقَهَّارِ

“On the day when the earth will be changed into a different earth, and the heavens likewise, and everyone will appear before Allah, the One, the Almighty.” —(Surah Ibrahim: 48)

These verses indicate that the present world order has a definite lifespan. It is not an everlasting order. When its lifespan is completed, the entire system will be thrown into disorder and shattered to pieces. The sun, the earth, the moon, and all the other planets and satellites upon whose revolutions this system is founded will become scattered and separated; they will collide with one another, and this temporary edifice will be reduced to fragments. But this does not mean that the created universe will be completely annihilated, or that the process of creation will be brought to an end. Rather, it means that this particular conception of creation operating under the present order will be changed, and a different system of governance will be established for the created universe. The verse cited here points in this direction.

What Will Be the Order of the Hereafter?

A question may arise here: What will that order be like? From the descriptions in the Noble Qur’an, it is clearly known that it will be the completion of the incompleteness of the present order, its developed and evolved form, and exactly in accordance with the demands of sound reason. In that order, weighing, measuring, and reckoning will all be carried out. But these will not concern material things; rather, subtle fundamental truths and realities will be weighed there: good and evil, right and wrong, benefit and harm, faith and disbelief, morality and immorality. People’s intentions, thoughts, wills, and desires will be measured. The hidden activities of the heart will be measured and weighed. The bread or money given to a poor person will not be counted there, but the intention active behind that generosity will be reckoned. For, unlike the laws of this world, the laws there will not be material; they will be intellectual.

إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُولـئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْؤُولاً

“The eyes, the ears, and the heart—all of them will be questioned” (Surah Bani Isra’il: 36).

وَنَضَعُ الْمَوَازِينَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَلَا تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْئًا وَإِن كَانَ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِّنْ خَرْدَلٍ أَتَيْنَا بِهَا وَكَفَى بِنَا حَاسِبِ

“On the Day of Resurrection, We will set up precise scales of justice. Thus, no person will be wronged in the least. Even if there is an act the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it forth. And We are sufficient as Reckoners” (Surah Al-Anbiya: 47).

O وَالْوَزْنُ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْحَقُّ فَمَن ثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

وَمَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَازِينُهُ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُواْ أَنفُسَهُم

“On that day, deeds will certainly be weighed. Then whoever’s deeds are heavy will attain success; and whoever’s deeds are light—those will be the losers.” (Surah Al-A‘raf: 8–9)

O فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ Oيَوْمَئِذٍ يَصْدُرُ النَّاسُ أَشْتَاتًا لِّيُرَوْا أَعْمَالَهُمْ

وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ

“On that day, people will emerge separately so that they may see their deeds. Then whoever does even an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does even a speck’s weight of evil will see it too.” (Surah Al-Zilzal: 6–8)

In the present material order, whatever remains hidden from people’s eyes because of the constraints of material laws will all be brought to light in this second order. Hidden, concealed, and subtle truths will clearly come forth there. And the true and actual worth of everything will be revealed in a radiant manner.

لَقَدْ كُنتَ فِي غَفْلَةٍ مِّنْ هَذَا فَكَشَفْنَا عَنكَ غِطَاءكَ فَبَصَرُكَ الْيَوْمَ حَدِيدٌ

“It will be said to man: You were heedless of this matter; then We removed the veil from your eyes, and today your sight is exceedingly sharp.” (Surah Qaf: 22)

يَوْمَئِذٍ تُعْرَضُونَ لَا تَخْفَى مِنكُمْ خَافِيَةٌ

On that day you will be brought forth. None of your secrets will remain hidden. —(Surah al-Haqqah: 18)

There, the true results of deeds will be revealed in accordance with reason, discernment, justice, and fairness. Under the influence of the material laws and material means and resources of the present system, the true and rational results of deeds cannot be revealed. Those laws and means will not be operative there. Consequently, everything that here obstructs justice and fairness and prevents the accurate results from being revealed will there become inactive and ineffectual. For example, here wealth and riches, an abundance of material resources, the influence of friends and associates, efforts and connections, intercession, family influence, one’s own cleverness, prudent judgment, and other such things protect a person from the consequences of many of his deeds. But there, the influence of all these things will come to an absolute end, and precisely the result that ought to be revealed for each thing according to justice, fairness, and truth will be revealed.

هُنَالِكَ تَبْلُو كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا أَسْلَفَتْ

“There, every person will examine the deeds he committed previously.” —(Surah Yunus: 30)

وَوُفِّيَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لاَ يُظْلَمُونَ

“Every person will be given the full recompense for his deeds, and they will not be wronged in the least.” —(Surah Al Imran: 25)

يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ مُّحْضَرًا وَمَا عَمِلَتْ مِن سُوَءٍ

“On that day, every person will find present before him every good and evil deed he has committed.” —(Surah Al Imran: 30)

وَاتَّقُواْ يَوْماً لاَّ تَجْزِي نَفْسٌ عَن نَّفْسٍ شَيْئاً وَلاَ يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا شَفَاعَةٌ وَلاَ يُؤْخَذُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ وَلاَ هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ

“Fear the Day when one person will be of no avail to another; no intercession will be accepted on anyone’s behalf, no ransom will be accepted from anyone, and they will not be helped.” (Surah Al-Baqarah: 48)

O فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَلَا أَنسَابَ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَلَا يَتَسَاءلُونَ

O فَمَن ثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

وَمَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَازِينُهُ فَأُوْلَئِكَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ فِي جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدُونَ

“Then, on the Day when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no ties of kinship among them, nor will they ask one another. On that day, those whose scales of deeds are heavy will attain success, while those whose scales are light will be the losers.” —(Surah Al-Mu’minun: 101–103)

إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ O يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ

“On that day, neither wealth nor children will benefit anyone; only the one who comes before Allah with a pure heart will attain salvation.” —(Surah al-Shu‘ara: 88–89)

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“You have come to Us alone, just as We created you alone the first time. You have left behind everything We had provided you as furnishings and provisions. We no longer see with you those intercessors whom you considered partners of Allah in matters of your sustenance and provision. All ties between you have been severed and rejected.”

—(Surah al-An‘am: 94)

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“On the Day of Resurrection, your relatives and children will be of no benefit to you whatsoever. Allah will decide between you. He has seen all that you do.”

—(Surah al-Mumtahanah: 3)

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“On that day, a person will flee from his brother, his mother and father, his wife, and his children. On that day, each person will be preoccupied with his own affair.”

—(Surah Abasa: 34–37)

A major defect in the present system is that the distribution of Allah’s bounties and wealth does not depend on a person’s deeds and merits. Rather, it depends on many factors, in which personal deeds and ability and talent are only partial causes. Other powerful factors there weaken the effects of personal deeds, and sometimes even eliminate them altogether. For this reason, personal entitlement has no place, or only a very limited place, in the distribution of bounties and wealth. Here, a person may spend his entire life committing oppression, persecution, and transgression, yet be adorned with prosperity, comfort, and worldly riches. Conversely, another person may spend his entire life in faith and piety, yet remain afflicted by hardship, suffering, and poverty. This imperfection needs to attain perfection. The demand of reason and judgment is that the present system should be improved and transformed into a system in which good and evil results are distributed with justice, and each person receives exactly what suits him on the basis of his individual qualities. The Qur’an says that the system of the Hereafter will be exactly like this. For example:

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“Shall We treat those who cause unrest and corruption on earth like those who believe and perform righteous deeds? Shall We make those who fear Allah and those who defy Allah equal?

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“Do the evildoers imagine that We will make them equal to those who believe and perform righteous deeds, and that their life and death will be the same? How evil is the judgment they make.”

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“Every person will be given a recompense exactly corresponding to his deeds.”

—(Surah al-An’am: 132)

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“Paradise will be brought near to the God-fearing, and Hell will be presented before those who went astray.”

—(Surah ash-Shu’ara: 90–91)

In fact, this is a brief outline of the second world that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the other prophets have spoken of as coming after the present world. Those who regard this world and its entire machinery as mere amusement, a playground, a futile commotion, and a completely aimless maze will indeed find nothing credible in this plan and its evidence; but those who regard the system of the universe as something created by Allah and believe Allah to be a wise and judicious Being will, after reflecting upon that evidence, necessarily acknowledge the need for a world of this kind. And once the possibility of a second life after death has been established, proving the necessity of such a possibility is sufficient to believe that the Wise and Judicious Allah will certainly create a world of this kind.

This discussion has made it clear that the faith in the Hereafter which Islam demands is not at all contrary to reason; rather, it is precisely what reason and sound judgment require. No advancement in knowledge, science, or intellectual thought can weaken this faith even to the slightest degree—provided, of course, that such advancement is genuine and real, rather than merely external and showy. (1)

The Necessity of Belief in the Hereafter

The discussion so far has proved that, after this worldly life, the existence of a second life is highly probable and demanded by reason. Sound judgment and genuine knowledge and science create no obstacle to believing in this second life presented by the Qur’an; rather, they encourage people even more to do so. But the question is: What is the necessity of believing in this concept of the Hereafter? Why has it been made an integral part of faith and conviction? Why has so much importance been attached to it? Why has belief in it been made indispensable for becoming a Muslim, and becoming a Muslim without this belief made impossible? Why, if it is denied, will belief in Allah, the Messenger, and the Book be of no benefit? Why will all the virtues and righteous deeds of life be ruined?

Someone may say that the doctrine of the Hereafter is merely a supernatural doctrine, just like other supernatural doctrines. We grant that this doctrine has been made very firm and powerful through evidence and proofs, and that sufficient grounds exist for believing in it. But the fact that a supernatural doctrine has been established by evidence and proofs does not mean that one must necessarily believe in it, or that faith and disbelief must come to depend upon it. There are many other supernatural doctrines, like the doctrine of the Hereafter, and strong arguments and proofs are also found in their support. Then why were they not included among the articles of faith?

For a more detailed discussion of the Hereafter, see the commentary under the word “Hereafter” in Tafhim al-Qur’an, volume two, and the essay entitled “The Hereafter,” included in the appendices of this book.

The answer is that, if the concept of the Hereafter were merely a supernatural doctrine, this would certainly be a strong question. In that case, there would be no rational reason to include this doctrine among faith and conviction. For if a doctrine were merely supernatural and had no connection with our practical lives, then being unaware of it or denying it would have no effect on our moral character and actions. But a little deeper reflection on the doctrine of the Hereafter makes it clear that it is not merely a philosophical doctrine; it has a profound connection with human moral and practical life. Belief in it fundamentally changes a person’s outlook on worldly life and all its activities. Accepting this doctrine means that a person will regard himself as an accountable and responsible being. In all the activities of life, he will act with the thought that he is accountable for every deed and every action. In the life to come, he will have to account for all his deeds, and his future good fortune or misfortune will depend on the good or evil he has done.

Conversely, not accepting this doctrine means that a person will regard himself as an irresponsible being. He will plan his worldly life under the notion that he will not have to give an account in another life for the deeds of this life. No good or evil consequence will appear in the future as a result of the deeds and actions of this life. Thus, the inevitable result of being unaware of this doctrine or denying it will be that a person’s attention will be focused only on the consequences of deeds that appear in this world. He will determine which actions are beneficial or harmful to him solely in light of these consequences. He will certainly refrain from drinking poison and putting his hand in fire, because he knows that he will suffer the bad consequences of these two actions in this world itself. But since the full consequences of such acts as oppression, persecution, injustice, lying, backbiting, breach of trust, adultery, and the like do not appear in this world, he will avoid them only to the extent that their evil consequences are likely to become apparent here. Conversely, whenever no evil consequence of these acts is likely to appear, or whenever the prospect of gaining some benefit from them arises, he will feel no hesitation whatsoever in committing them.

In short, according to this doctrine, no definite moral value will remain attached to any moral act in a person’s view. Rather, the goodness or badness of each of his actions will depend entirely on the good or bad consequences that appear in this world. On the other hand, a person who believes in the Hereafter will not look only at the consequences of a moral act that appear in this world; he will also consider the consequences that will appear in the life to come, and in light of those consequences he will determine the act’s benefit or harm. Just as he will believe in the destructive effect of poison and the burning power of fire, so will he believe in the destructive effect and burning power of breach of trust and falsehood. Just as he will believe in the destructive effect of poison and the burning power of fire, so will he believe in the destructive effect and burning power of breach of trust and falsehood. Just as he will regard food and drink as beneficial, so will he regard justice, faithfulness, and purity as beneficial. He will believe that each of his actions has a definite and certain consequence, even though that consequence may not appear at all in this life or may appear in an opposite form. For him, moral actions will have fixed moral values, and worldly benefit or harm will not bring about the slightest change in those values. In his moral system, honesty, justice, and keeping promises will certainly be counted as virtue and good deeds—even if their result in this world may be only harm or no benefit at all. Conversely, falsehood, oppression and persecution, and breaking promises will certainly be recognized as sin and evil—even if their result in this world may be only benefit and not the slightest harm.

Therefore, indifference to the Hereafter or disbelief in it does not merely mean that a person is indifferent to a supernatural doctrine or has rejected it. Rather, it means that he has become indifferent to his status as a responsible and accountable being. He has come to regard himself as a free, arbitrary, and irresponsible creature. He has become satisfied with the outward life of this world and its incomplete, and sometimes deceptive, results. Indifferent to the ultimate gains and losses of life, he has placed his reliance on immediate, temporary, and unreliable gains and losses. In light of this, he has established for his actions a completely changeable and deceptive moral standard. He has been deprived of a sound, firm, and moral code—one that can be attained only through a sense of responsibility, unwavering attention to ultimate consequences, and definite moral values. Thus, deceived by the incomplete and deficient outward appearance of this world, he has lived his entire life under such a weak and erroneous moral code that real loss has turned into gain, and real loss has turned into gain, while real gain and loss have been labeled. There, what is truly beautiful has become ugly, and what is truly ugly has been called beautiful; likewise, true sin has become virtue, and true virtue has become sin.

Indeed, it is these consequences of not believing in the Hereafter that the Noble Qur’an has described in great detail. A review of the Qur’anic verses on this subject will show that the various distortions arising in people’s moral and practical lives as a result of denying the Hereafter have all been mentioned there.

First: A person considers himself an aimless, capricious, irresponsible being and regards his life as a whole as fruitless and meaningless. Thinking that no one supervises or calls him to account for his actions, he carries out whatever he wishes:

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“Do you think that We created you without purpose and that you would not be returned to Us?” — (Surah Al-Mu’minun 23:115)

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“Does man think that he will be left without purpose?”

— (Surah Al-Qiyamah 75:36)

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“Does man think that no one has power over him? He says, ‘I have spent vast wealth.’ Does he think that no one has seen him?” — (Surah Al-Balad: 5–7)

Second: Such a person’s attention is directed only toward the outward aspects of the worldly life; he takes the initial and temporary results to be the final and actual results, and, deceived by them, reaches erroneous conclusions:

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“They possess knowledge only of the outward aspects of worldly life, while they are utterly heedless of the Hereafter.” — (Surah Ar-Rum: 7)

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“Those who do not expect to meet Us and have become satisfied and assured with the worldly life.” — (Surah Yunus: 7)

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“Certainly not! Rather, you love the immediate outcome and abandon the outcome of the Hereafter.” — (Surah Al-Qiyamah: 20–21)

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“You give preference to the life of this world, whereas the Hereafter is better and more lasting.”

—(Surah Al-A‘la: 16–17)

“The life of this world has deceived them.”

Three: The consequence of this superficial outlook is that people’s perception of the value of things becomes completely inverted. Things that are actually harmful in terms of their ultimate consequences, they come to regard as beneficial because they focus on apparent gains; and actions that are misguided in terms of their ultimate consequences, they begin to consider beneficial by looking only at their initial results. For this reason, their worldly efforts and endeavors deviate from the right path and ultimately become fruitless.

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“Those who desired the good of the life of this world said, ‘Alas! If only we had been given what Qarun had been given! Indeed, he is very fortunate.’ And those who had been given knowledge said, ‘Woe to you! The reward of Allah is better for whoever believes and does righteous deeds.’”

—(Surah Al-Qasas: 79–80)

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“For those who do not believe in the Hereafter, We have made their deeds seem very appealing to them, and they remain astray.” –(Surah An-Naml: 8)

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“Do they think that, because We are providing them with wealth and children, We are hastening to provide them with good things? But they do not perceive the truth.”

–(Surah Al-Mu’minun: 55–56)

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“Shall We tell you who are the greatest losers in their deeds? They are those whose efforts have gone astray in the life of this world, while they thought that they were doing excellent work. They are the ones who denied the signs of their Lord and the meeting with Him. Therefore, their deeds became worthless.” –(Surah Al-Kahf: 104–105)

Four: Such people can never accept the true religion. If moral ideals, righteous deeds, and principles of good conduct are ever presented to them, they will reject them; but if beliefs and practices opposed to all these are presented, they will accept them. This is because all the rules and principles of the true religion demand the sacrifice of many benefits, advantages, and pleasures of worldly life. Its fundamental principle and teaching is that, for the sake of the better and everlasting good of the Hereafter, the temporary and transitory good of this world must be sacrificed. But the person who disbelieves in the Hereafter regards the good of this world as the ultimate good. For this reason, he is neither prepared to make such a sacrifice nor able to accept the rules and principles of religious devotion that demand such sacrifice. Thus, disbelief in the Hereafter and following the true religion are two mutually contradictory things. A person who disbelieves in the Hereafter can never be a follower of the true religion.

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“I will turn away from My signs those who behave arrogantly on earth without justification. Even if they see every sign, they will not believe in it; even if they see the straight path, they will not adopt it; but if they see the path of error, they will rush toward it. That is because they rejected Our signs and were heedless of them. The deeds of those who reject Our signs and the meeting of the Hereafter will become worthless. Will they not be recompensed only according to what they used to do?” — (Surah al-A‘raf: 146–147)

Fifth: Disbelief in the Hereafter affects a person’s entire moral and practical life. He becomes arrogant and rebellious:

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“Those who do not believe in the Hereafter continue to reject the truth in their hearts, and they become arrogant.” — (Surah an-Nahl: 22)

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“Pharaoh and his armies behaved arrogantly on earth without justification and thought that they would never have to return to Me. Their conduct and dealings became corrupt.”

— (Surah al-Qasas: 39)

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“Woe is certain for those dishonest people who take full measure when receiving from others, but give short measure when measuring out to them. Do they not remember that they will be resurrected on a tremendous day?” —(Surah al-Mutaffifin: 1–5)

He becomes hard-hearted, narrow-minded, ostentatious, selfish, and averse to the worship of Allah:

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“Have you seen the one who denies the Day of Recompense? It is such a person who drives away the orphan and does not encourage feeding the needy. So woe to those who pray, who are heedless of their prayers. They perform good deeds only to show off to people. And they withhold even small and ordinary necessities from people.”

—(Surah al-Ma’un: 1–7)

In short, ignoring the truth and engaging in sinful deeds are the inevitable consequences of denying the Hereafter

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“Only those who have rejected the truth and become engrossed in sinful deeds deny the Day of Recompense.”

— (Surah al-Mutaffifin: 12)

Indeed, no intelligent person can deny these consequences of being indifferent to or disbelieving in the Hereafter. In particular, we have had the opportunity to witness the consequences of a civilization whose edifice has been built solely upon the worldly and material objectives of life, having been captivated by the outward glitter of worldly existence and having completely rejected belief in the Hereafter. After this, we have no room whatsoever to deny the truth that the establishment of devotion to Allah, religious commitment, and moral ideals is utterly impossible alongside disbelief in the Hereafter.

Yet the noteworthy point is that Islam seeks to establish precisely these things in their entirety. It calls people toward excellent character and righteous deeds. For this, it is necessary to renounce the many material interests and pleasures of the world. It advises people to worship Allah and reform themselves—things whose benefit or welfare cannot be observed in this worldly life; on the contrary, a person’s body and mind must endure many kinds of hardship and distress because of them. In every matter of life and in benefiting from the adornments and provisions of this world, it distinguishes between the lawful and the unlawful, and between purity and impurity. To attain higher spiritual goals, it demands that people sacrifice their personal interests and love and affection, and at times even their lives and wealth. It seeks to organize human life through a moral law that assigns a particular value to everything without the slightest regard for worldly profit or loss. Indeed, could people have succeeded in establishing such a religion and Shariah without belief in the Hereafter? Even while being indifferent to or disbelieving in such a doctrine, could people have accepted such teachings? If the answer is negative—and it certainly is—then it must be acknowledged that, in order to establish such a religious system and moral law, it is first essential to firmly implant belief in the Hereafter in people’s hearts. Indeed, for this very reason Islam has included it among the fundamentals of faith and, after faith in Allah, has placed the greatest emphasis upon it.

Let us now examine the form in which Islam has presented this conviction and the effect it has on human character and conduct.

The Hereafter’s Priority over This World

The first thing the Qur’an Majid sought to firmly implant in people’s minds was that this world is a temporary dwelling for humanity. It is not their only life; rather, after it there is another life, better and everlasting. The prosperity of that life is far more expansive than the prosperity of the present life, and its adversity is far more severe than the adversity here. Whoever is deceived by the outward glitter of this world, becomes entangled in the hope of obtaining its pleasures, comforts, and interests, and, as a result of striving to acquire them, is deprived of the prosperity and interests of the life to come has purchased a very bad thing. Indeed, in reality, this entire transaction of his is an exceedingly harmful one. Likewise, whoever regards the losses of this world as the ultimate loss and, in trying to escape them, makes himself liable to the losses of the life to come, acts with the utmost foolishness; his action can in no way be called intelligent. This very matter has been explained in such detail in the Qur’an Majid that it is not possible to bring together here all the verses related to it. A few verses are quoted here by way of example:

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“This world is nothing but play and amusement. The true abode of life is the Hereafter.” — (Surah Al-Ankabut: 64)

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“(O Muhammad,) say: The pleasures and possessions of this world are very insignificant. For one who lives with taqwa, the Hereafter is better.” (Surah An-Nisa: 77)

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“Have you become content with the life of this world in exchange for the Hereafter? The pleasures and possessions of the life of this world are very insignificant compared with the Hereafter.” (Surah At-Tawbah: 38)

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“You give preference to the life of this world, whereas the Hereafter is better and more enduring.” — (Surah Al-A‘la: 16–17)

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“Every person must taste death. And you will receive the full recompense for this life on the Day of Resurrection. Therefore, whoever is saved from the punishment of Hell on that day and admitted into Paradise—that person alone has truly attained success. And the life of this world is nothing but an instrument of deception.” -(Surah Aal-e-Imran: 185)

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“Those who have wronged themselves remain preoccupied with the pleasures bestowed upon them, and they are the criminals.” -(Surah Hud: 116)

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“(O Muhammad!) Say: Those who have cast themselves and their own children into ruin on the Day of Resurrection are indeed suffering a grievous loss. This is the true and manifest loss.” -(Surah Az-Zumar: 15)

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“Then the abode of whoever rebels and gives preference to the life of this world will be Hell. And the abode of whoever fears standing before his Lord and restrains his soul from its lusts will be Paradise.” -(Surah An-Nazi’at: 37–41)

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“Know that the life of this world is play, amusement, adornment, mutual boasting, and vying with one another in wealth and children. Its likeness is that of rain: through it the crops grow abundantly, and the farmers rejoice at them. Then they mature and dry up, and you see them turned yellow and reduced to rubble. Thereafter comes the life of the Hereafter, in which there is severe punishment for some, and forgiveness from Allah and His pleasure for others. The life of this world is nothing but a deceptive provision.” —(Surah al-Hadid: 20)

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“The love of women, children, heaps of gold and silver, branded horses, livestock, and crops has been made attractive to people. These are the comforts and provisions of the life of this world. But with Allah is a better abode. O Muhammad, say: Shall I tell you of something better than these comforts? For those who have taqwa, there are gardens with rivers flowing beneath them, with their Lord. They will remain there forever, have purified spouses, and be blessed with Allah’s pleasure.” —(Aal-e-Imran: 14–15)

This teaching—to give precedence to the Hereafter over this world, to sacrifice temporary interests for lasting success in the Hereafter, and to endure the temporary losses of this world in order to be saved from lasting loss in the Hereafter—has been presented in Islam in a highly emphatic and appealing manner. Its purpose is that a person who believes in the Qur’an and Muhammad, peace be upon him, will not perform every act that Allah and the Messenger, peace be upon him, have prescribed as a means of success in the Hereafter under compulsion or coercion, but out of sincere inner inclination. Similarly, he will abstain from everything that both of them have identified as a cause of loss in the Hereafter, regardless of how beneficial or harmful it may be considered in the life of this world.

The Record of Deeds and Allah’s Court

Another truth that the Majestic Qur’an has sought to firmly establish in people’s minds is that whatever deed a person performs in this worldly life—no matter how secretly he performs it—a precise and flawless record of it is preserved. On the Day of Resurrection, this very record will be presented in court. Every atom connected with a person’s actions will testify concerning his deeds. Even his own limbs will come forward and stand in the witness box to testify against him. Moreover, his record of deeds will be weighed with utmost precision. On one pan of the scales of justice will be his good deeds, and on the other will be his evil deeds. If the pan of good deeds is heavier, success in the Hereafter will welcome him, and his abode will be Paradise. But if the pan of wrongdoing is heavier, his fate will be destruction and ruin, and the worst of places, called Hell, will be assigned to him. In that court of Allah, everyone will appear alone with his own record of deeds. There, none of the worldly means—honor, ancestral pride, efforts and influence, wealth, power and strength, or anything else—will be of any use to him.

The Qur’an has also described this subject at great length and in an appealing manner. By way of illustration, a few verses are quoted here:

It has been said concerning the condition of the record of deeds:

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“The one among you who speaks secretly and the one who speaks aloud, the one who hides in the darkness of night and the one who goes about in the light of day—they are equal in their situation. Surely, there are guardians appointed before each person and behind him, and they preserve every word he utters by Allah’s command.” —(Surah Ar-Ra‘d: 10–11)

وَوُضِعَ الْكِتَابُ فَتَرَى الْمُجْرِمِينَ مُشْفِقِينَ مِمَّا فِيهِ وَيَقُولُونَ يَا وَيْلَتَنَا مَالِ هَٰذَا الْكِتَابِ لَا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلَا كَبِيرَةً إِلَّا أَحْصَاهَا ۚ وَوَجَدُوا مَا عَمِلُوا حَاضِرًا ۗ وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا

“When the record is presented, you will see the criminals fearful of what is written in it. They will say: ‘Alas! What is the matter with this record? It has omitted neither a small thing nor a great thing; it has recorded everything.’ Indeed, they will find all that they had done present before them.” —(Surah Al-Kahf: 49)

The Testimony of the Limbs and the Acknowledgment of People:

يَوْمَ تَشْهَدُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ وَأَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَرْجُلُهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

“On that Day, their own tongues, their hands, and their feet will testify against them concerning what they used to do.” —(Surah An-Nur: 24)

حَتَّىٰ إِذَا مَا جَاءُوهَا شَهِدَ عَلَيْهِمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَأَبْصَارُهُمْ وَجُلُودُهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

وَقَالُوا لِجُلُودِهِمْ لِمَ شَهِدْتُمْ عَلَيْنَا ۖ قَالُوا أَنْطَقَنَا اللَّهُ الَّذِي أَنْطَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ خَلَقَكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ

وَمَا كُنْتُمْ تَسْتَتِرُونَ أَنْ يَشْهَدَ عَلَيْكُمْ سَمْعُكُمْ وَلَا أَبْصَارُكُمْ وَلَا جُلُودُكُمْ وَلَٰكِنْ ظَنَنْتُمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَعْلَمُ كَثِيرًا مِمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

“When he reaches there, his ears, his eyes, and his skin will testify against him concerning his deeds. He will say to his skin, ‘Why did you testify against me?’ It will reply, ‘The One who gives speech to everything has given me speech. … You used to act secretly, unaware that your own ears, eyes, and skin would testify against you concerning your deeds. Rather, you thought that Allah was unaware of much of what you did.’” —(Surah Ha-Mim as-Sajdah: 20–22)

 وَشَهِدُوا عَلَىٰ أَنْفُسِهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا كَافِرِيَ

“They themselves will testify against themselves that they were ungrateful servants.” —(Surah Al-An‘am: 130)

With such a record of deeds and these witnesses, a person will appear before Allah’s court. What will the state of this appearance be? He will stand completely alone and helpless in the defendant’s dock.

وَلَقَدْ جِئْتُمُونَا فُرَادَىٰ كَمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَتَرَكْتُمْ مَا خَوَّلْنَاكُمْ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِكُمْ ۖ وَمَا نَرَىٰ مَعَكُمْ شُفَعَاءَكُمُ الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ أَنَّهُمْ فِيكُمْ شُرَكَاءُ ۚ لَقَدْ تَقَطَّعَ بَيْنَكُمْ وَضَلَّ عَنْكُمْ مَا كُنْتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ

“Just as We created you the first time, so you have come to Us today alone. You have left behind everything We had bestowed upon you.” —(Surah Al-An‘am: 94)

There, everyone will present his own account:

وَكُلَّ إِنْسَانٍ أَلْزَمْنَاهُ طَائِرَهُ فِي عُنُقِهِ ۖ وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كِتَابًا يَلْقَاهُ مَنْشُورًا

اقْرَأْ كِتَابَكَ كَفَىٰ بِنَفْسِكَ الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكَ حَسِيبًا

“We have fastened each person’s record of good and bad deeds around his neck. On the Day of Resurrection, We will bring out for him a Book, which he will find spread open before him. He will be told: ‘Read your record. Today you yourself are sufficient to take account of yourself.’” — (Surah Bani Isra’il: 13–14)

There, hereditary influence and status will be of no use:

لَنْ تَنْفَعَكُمْ أَرْحَامُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ ۚ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَكُمْ ۚ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ

“On the Day of Resurrection, your tribal relationships and children will be of no use whatsoever.” — (Surah Al-Mumtahanah: 3)

There, no benefit will arise from intercession:

 مَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ حَمِيمٍ وَلَا شَفِيعٍ يُطَاعُ

“For the wrongdoers there will be neither a close friend nor an intercessor whose intercession will be accepted.” — (Surah Mu’min: 18)

There will be no dealings in bribes there:

 يَوْمَ لَا يَنْفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ

“On that day, neither wealth nor children will be of any use.” — (Surah al-Shu‘ara: 88)

People’s deeds will be weighed, and every atom will be taken into account:

وَنَضَعُ الْمَوَازِينَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَلَا تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْئًا ۖ وَإِنْ كَانَ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِنْ خَرْدَلٍ أَتَيْنَا بِهَا ۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِنَا حَاسِبِينَ

“We shall set up the scales of justice on the Day of Resurrection, and no soul shall be wronged in the least. Even if it is the weight of a mustard seed, We shall bring it forth. And sufficient are We as reckoners.” — (Surah al-Anbiya: 47)

There, peace and reward in all matters will be according to deeds:

 الْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

“Today you will be recompensed exactly according to what you used to do.” —(Surah al-Jathiyah: 28)

 وَلِكُلٍّ دَرَجَاتٌ مِمَّا عَمِلُوا

“For everyone there will be ranks according to what they have done.” —(Surah al-An’am: 132)

In fact, it is the fear of this police and court that has been firmly instilled in people’s minds. This is not the police of this world, from whose sight a person can conceal himself. Nor is this the court of this world, from whose grasp a person may escape because evidence has not been gathered, false testimony has been produced, or unlawful influence has been exerted. Rather, this police is supervising him at all times and in every circumstance. He can in no way escape the sight of the witnesses of this court. A record of every human thought and action is present before it. Its judgment is so perfectly just that no wrongdoing can escape punishment, and no good deed can go without reward.

Benefits of Belief in the Hereafter

In this way, Islam has made belief in the Hereafter a mighty foundation for its moral laws and Shariah system. On the one hand, it contains an intellectual incentive to adopt virtue and well-being and to protect oneself from ruin and destruction; on the other hand, it contains the certainty of reward for good deeds and the fear of certain punishment for wrongdoing. For its firmness and permanence, this system and these laws of Islam are not dependent on any material force or administrative authority. Rather, through belief in the Hereafter, it awakens a powerful force of conscience in the human mind. Without any external temptation, fear, or intimidation, that force naturally impels people toward those good deeds that Islam has designated as good deeds in view of their ultimate consequences. Likewise, it inspires them to protect themselves from those wrongdoings that Islam has deemed wrongdoings in view of their ultimate consequences.

A glance at the Noble Qur’an will show that this conviction has been used in various places to teach moral ideals. Along with instructing people to fear Allah and observe piety, it is immediately stated: وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ مُلَاقُوهُ“Fear Allah and know that you must appear before Him.” —(Surah al-Baqarah: 223). Along with encouraging self-sacrifice in the path of Allah, the assurance is also given that when you die, you will not truly perish; rather, you will attain eternal life. وَلَا تَقُولُوا لِمَنْ يُقْتَلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتٌ ۚ بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ وَلَٰكِنْ لَا تَشْعُرُونَ—(Surah al-Baqarah: 154). In advising patience in times of sorrow and hardship, it has also been stated that boundless mercy and grace await the patient from Allah:

أُولَٰئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ

The spirit of fearlessness and courage has been instilled in this way:

قَالَ الَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُمْ مُلَاقُو اللَّهِ كَمْ مِنْ فِئَةٍ قَلِيلَةٍ غَلَبَتْ فِئَةً كَثِيرَةً بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

“Those who thought that they would appear before Allah said: ‘By Allah’s command, a small group often triumphs over a large army.’” —(Surah al-Baqarah: 249)

The strength to stand firm in the face of the most severe dangers has been imparted in these words:

نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ أَشَدُّ حَرًّاۚ“The fire of Jahannam is far more intense than the heat of this world.” (Al-Tawbah: 81)

People have been encouraged to spend their wealth on good works in these words:

 وَمَا تُنْفِقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ يُوَفَّ إِلَيْكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تُظْلَمُونَ

“Whatever you give in charity, you will receive its full reward, and you will not be wronged in the least.” —(Surah Al-Baqarah: 172)

To discourage miserliness, it has been said:

 وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ هُوَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ ۖ بَلْ هُوَ شَرٌّ لَهُمْ ۖ سَيُطَوَّقُونَ مَا بَخِلُوا بِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

“Let not those whom Allah has enriched by His bounty, yet are miserly with it, think that this is good for them; rather, it is very harmful for them. The wealth with which they are miserly will be put around their necks as a shackle on the Day of Judgment.” —(Surah Aal-E-Imran: 180)

Interest-based dealings have been prohibited with these words:تُرْجَعُونَ فِيهِ إِلَى اللَّهِ“Fear the day when you will return to Allah.” —(Surah Al-Baqarah: 281)

People have been taught not to be dazzled by the luxuries of this world or envy the ease enjoyed by evildoers in this way:

لَا يَغُرَّنَّكَ تَقَلُّبُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي الْبِلَادِ مَتَاعٌ قَلِيلٌ ثُمَّ مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۚ وَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ لَٰكِنِ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا رَبَّهُمْ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا نُزُلًا مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ ۗ وَمَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لِلْأَبْرَارِ

“O Prophet, let not the movement of the disbelievers through the cities of the world deceive you. It is only a brief enjoyment of this transient life. Then all of them will go to Hell, which is the worst abode. On the other hand, for those who live in fear of their Lord are gardens beneath which rivers flow. They will abide therein forever. This is their hospitality from Allah. And whatever is with Allah is best for the righteous servants.” —(Surah Al Imran: 196–198)

8.

The Importance of Faith in Islamic Culture

A Comprehensive Review of the Subjects of Faith

The five subjects of faith have been discussed in detail. Through this discussion, the Islamic conception of each subject, its intellectual status according to sound standards, its influence on human character, and its role in laying the foundation of culture have become clear. It is now necessary to examine faith as a whole.

The opening chapters of this book stated that the foundation of Islamic culture is a particular conception of earthly life. That is, the status of human beings in this world is not like that of ordinary created things; rather, they have been sent here as representatives of the Lord of the worlds. In light of this conception, attaining the pleasure of one’s Creator and Master naturally becomes the goal of human life as a logical conclusion, and to attain this goal it becomes necessary to:

First, to acquire sound knowledge about Allah.

Second, to regard Allah alone as the One who commands and forbids, the Lawgiver and Legislator, and the One worthy of worship and obedience, and to bring all one’s powers and authority completely under divine law.

Third, to know the special means and methods of attaining Allah’s pleasure.

Fourth, to become aware of the benefits of earning Allah’s pleasure and the harmful consequences of earning His displeasure, so that no one may be deceived by the incomplete results of worldly life.

Indeed, the five creeds discussed in detail earlier fulfill precisely this fundamental need.

The purpose of whatever has been stated in the Qur’an concerning Allah’s essence and attributes is that human beings may acquire accurate knowledge of the Great Being from whom they have been sent into the world as representatives and whose pleasure is the supreme aim of their lives. Similarly, the purpose of whatever has been said about the angels is that people may not regard any of the active forces of the universe as a lord, nor declare anyone besides Allah to be a partner in lordship. After acquiring such accurate knowledge, the significance of believing in Allah is that, just as Allah’s absolute authority prevails over the universe—including the unconscious aspects of human life—so human beings will acknowledge only Allah’s authority over the conscious and deliberate aspects of life as well. In every matter, they will recognize Allah alone as the Lawgiver and themselves as followers of that law. They will bring their own power and freedom of choice under the limits prescribed by Allah. In fact, only such faith can inspire a person to bow willingly and eagerly before Allah’s lordship and authority. Through it, a special kind of conscience is created within the true believer, and a special kind of character is formed—one that is not compelled by Allah’s laws and ordinances, but is essential for voluntary obedience to them.

Belief in prophethood and the Book fulfills the third need. Through these two, people acquire extensive knowledge of the laws, regulations, and system ordained by Allah for them. Through these two, they can recognize the limits within which Allah has placed human power and freedom of choice. “Faith in the Messengership” and “faith in the Book” mean regarding the Messenger’s teachings as Allah’s teachings and the Book presented by him as Allah’s Book. It is through the strength of this faith that people can develop the capacity to follow, with firmness and resolve, the system, laws, regulations, and customs demonstrated through Allah’s Messenger and His Book.

Knowledge concerning the Hereafter fulfills the fourth and final need. Through it, a person’s vision becomes so keen that, behind the outward appearance of this worldly life, he perceives the existence of a separate world. He clearly realizes that the good and evil, benefit and harm, of this world are not the measure of Allah’s pleasure and displeasure. The benefits and harmful consequences of actions from Allah do not end in this world; rather, their final judgment and results will be announced in a separate world. And that judgment will be entirely accurate and reliable. To achieve success and attain felicity in that judgment, the only means is to follow Allah’s laws and ordinances accurately in this world and fully preserve the limits He has prescribed. Firm conviction in this knowledge and belief is called faith in the Hereafter. Indeed, after faith in Allah, this is the most effective force in motivating people to follow Islamic laws and regulations. This conviction also plays a tremendous role in making people mentally qualified and capable of embracing Islamic culture.

It has become clear from this discussion that the fundamental creeds under consideration have organized and established the foundation of the culture precisely along the lines previously drawn by Islam’s distinctive conception and specific purpose regarding worldly life. From an intellectual standpoint, the fundamental creed required for such a culture can consist of these five matters. No other creed possesses the qualification to serve as the foundation of this particular kind of culture, because no other creed is compatible with this distinctive conception and purpose concerning life.

The Structure of Islamic Culture

A full outline of the culture built upon this foundation emerges before us as soon as we look at the detailed discussion above concerning faith, that is, the Islamic creed. Its notable features are as follows:

One: The administration of this culture is like the administration of a kingdom. In it, Allah’s status is not merely that of a ‘deity’ according to the common religious view. Rather, according to the worldly view, He is also the supreme ruler. In reality, He is the King and Emperor of this vast kingdom. The Messenger is His representative. The Qur’an is His legal code. Whoever acknowledges His sovereignty, obeys His representative, and follows His legal code is a subject of this kingdom. To be a Muslim means that one must accept, without argument, the laws prescribed by that King through His representative and legal code, whether or not their application and rationale are understood. Whoever does not agree to place Allah’s supreme authority and His laws above personal and social decisions, and reserves for himself the right to obey or disobey His commands, has not the slightest place anywhere in this kingdom.

Two: The primary aim of this culture is to prepare people for ultimate success—that is, to be blessed in the Hereafter by attaining the pleasure of the Lord of the universe—and, in its view, attaining this success depends on people’s flawless conduct in the present life. Moreover, people cannot know which actions are beneficial and which are harmful from the standpoint of the ultimate outcome; rather, Allah, who will decide the matter in the Hereafter, knows this best. For this reason, this culture demands that people follow Allah’s prescribed way in all matters of life and limit and regulate their freedom of action by the Divine Shariah. Likewise, this culture is a sublime synthesis of religion and worldly life. It cannot be called ‘religion’ in the conventional narrow sense. Rather, it is a comprehensive way of life that encompasses human thoughts and ideas, dispositions and character, conduct and behavior, family affairs, social activities, political processes, civilization, and social life as a whole. The collective name for the methods and laws that Allah has prescribed in all these matters is ‘the Din of Islam’ or ‘Islamic culture.’

Three: This culture is not a national culture, whether national in the geographical or linguistic sense, nor is it a country-based or tribal culture. Rather, in the true sense, it is a human culture. It calls upon people simply as human beings. It accepts within its bounds anyone who believes in Tawhid, Risalah, the Book, and the Hereafter. In this way, it forms a broad, worldwide nationality into which all people, regardless of race, tribe, or language, may enter. It possesses the unique capacity to spread across the entire world. It is also capable of binding all the children of Adam together through a single national bond and making them all followers of the same culture. Yet its true aim in establishing this universal human brotherhood is not merely to increase the number of its own followers; rather, its principal objective is to make all humanity share in the benefits of the sound knowledge and course of action that the Lord of humanity has given for their welfare and well-being. For this reason, it has first imposed faith as a condition for joining this brotherhood, and at the same time has selected for this fellowship only those who are prepared to bow before Allah’s supreme authority and willing to observe the limits and laws prescribed by Allah’s Messenger and His Book. For only such people, however few they may be, can fit into this cultural system, and only through them can a sound and firmly established way of life be established. The presence of unbelievers, hypocrites, or people of weak faith in this system is not a sign of its strength; rather, it is a sign of weakness.

Four: Alongside its boundlessness and universality, a notable feature of this culture is its intense discipline and powerful cohesion. Through these, it makes its followers obedient to its own laws both personally and socially. This is because, before enacting laws and defining limits, it first makes arrangements to ensure that the laws will be followed and the limits observed. In other words, before issuing commands, it ensures that the commands will be put into effect. For this purpose, it first makes people acknowledge Allah’s lordship and authority. Then it assures them that the regulations conveyed through the Messenger and the Book are Allah’s own regulations, and that obeying them is precisely obedience to Allah. Moreover, it appoints within their hearts a vigilant guard who constantly and under all circumstances urges them to obey the Divine regulations, reprimands them for violating them, and warns them of punishment in the Hereafter. Thus, once this effective force has been firmly rooted in the mind and conscience of every individual, and the capacity has been developed among its followers to observe the law willingly and eagerly, comply with rules and restrictions, and be adorned with good qualities, it then presents its own laws before them, defines the limits of their actions, establishes a way of life for them, and demands that they make the most stringent sacrifices to achieve its own aims. Indeed, this is an extremely scientific course of action; no wiser method could be conceived. Through this method, Islamic culture has achieved an enormous influence and authority that no other culture has been able to attain.

Five: From a worldly perspective, this culture seeks to establish a sound social order and build a virtuous and pure society. But such a society cannot be formed until those included within it are adorned with good character and virtues. For this reason, correcting the personal character of its members is essential, so that firm character may develop within them, enabling them quite naturally to practice good deeds. Indeed, Islam has given full attention to this principle in its cultural system. For training people, Islam first firmly implants faith and conviction within them, because this is the only way to create strong, high-quality character in them. Through the strength of this faith, it develops in people such excellent qualities as honesty, trustworthiness, good character, self-discipline, love of truth, self-restraint, organization, generosity, broad-mindedness, self-respect, humility and gentleness, ambition, courage, self-sacrifice, a sense of duty, patience, steadfastness, manliness, self-contentment, obedience to leaders, law-abidingness, and many other virtues. At the same time, it makes them equally capable of forming an excellent society as the natural outcome of their solidarity.

Six: The faith, or creed, of this culture contains, on the one hand, all the forces needed to create, cultivate, and preserve good character and virtuous qualities. On the other hand, it also contains the power to make people capable of making the best use of worldly means and resources and of applying the powers given by Allah in a balanced manner. Moreover, this creed itself creates in people the excellent qualities necessary for the real advancement of the world. Within it lies tremendous power to organize human energy and employ it in a well-planned manner. At the same time, it contains the power to prevent this energy from transgressing its limits and from straying from the true path of welfare. Thus, the qualities that are found separately in other religious and worldly creeds are all present together, and in an excellent form, in the Islamic creed. And this creed is completely free from the distortions found in various religious and worldly creeds.

The Importance of Faith in Islamic Culture

This is a brief outline of the established culture of Islam. If, by way of example, we regard it as a building, then we must say that its foundation has been dug deep into the ground to make the building strong. Then, after careful selection, even more solid bricks were gathered for it and laid with excellent cement. Thereafter, the building was constructed so magnificently that in height it rose to the heavens and in breadth it extended to the horizon. Yet, despite such breadth and height, its walls and pillars do not tremble in the least; rather, they stand firm like mountains. The doors and windows of this building have been constructed in such a way that the light and pure air outside can enter it beautifully, but dust, sand, refuse, and polluted air are not allowed to enter at all. All these qualities and characteristics of the building in question have arisen from a single thing, and that is faith. It is this that has strengthened its basic foundation. It is this that has rejected useless and inert materials and accepted the finest materials. It is this that has baked raw earth into fired bricks. Upon it depend the building’s breadth, height, and strength. Just as it has given it breadth, height, and strength, so has it protected it from external harm and allowed every pure and wholesome thing to enter it. Thus, faith is the very life of this building. Without it, not only could it not remain standing—it could not even be built. And if it is weak, that means the entire foundation of the building is feeble, its bricks are raw, its lime and cement are defective, its pillars are unstable, and its walls are not firmly joined. It has no capacity for breadth or height. It has no power to repel external harm or to protect the pure and wholesome things within it.

In short, the absence of faith amounts to the absence of Islam itself. Likewise, the weakness of faith is another name for its weakness, and the strength of faith is another name for its strength. Moreover, since Islam is not merely a religion, but a combination of civilization, culture, morality, social life, politics, and everything else, the importance of faith here is not confined to a purely religious framework; rather, people’s entire moral conduct and way of life depend entirely upon it. It is the principal support for the soundness and purity of their mutual dealings. It unites them and turns them into a nation. It safeguards their nationality and culture. It is the essential lifeblood of their civilization, social life, and politics. Without it, Islam cannot be established merely as a “religion”; nor can it be established as a civilization, culture, or system of government. When faith becomes weak, this cannot be described merely as weakness in religious belief. Rather, it means that the moral life of Muslims has deteriorated, their character has weakened, their mutual dealings have become corrupt, their civilization and social system have collapsed, and the bond of their nationality has been severed. They have become incapable of living as an independent, honored, and powerful nation. Indeed, this is why, in the Islamic system, faith has been made the criterion distinguishing Islam from unbelief. When a person accepts faith, he enters the Muslim nation; he becomes an equal participant in the civilization, social life, and politics of the Muslims, and all their customs and laws become binding upon him. But if he does not accept faith, he cannot enter within the bounds of Islam in any way. He cannot become a participant in the community of Islam. For, within this system, it is entirely impossible for him to fit in. He cannot observe its laws, regulations, and ordinances in any way.

The Fear of Hypocrisy

The case of those who openly reject the call to faith is clear. Between them and the Muslims there is a very clear and impassable boundary between unbelief and faith. By crossing that boundary and entering Islam, they can never cause harm. But those who, without being believers, claim to have faith and have entered the ranks of the Muslims—those whose hearts conceal the disease of doubt, or whose belief is extremely weak—are exceedingly dangerous to the Islamic system. Although they have entered within the bounds of Islam, they have not adopted Islamic character or the Islamic way of life. They have neither followed Islamic law nor preserved Allah’s ordinances. Rather, through their corrupt character and conduct they are also corrupting the civilization and culture of the Muslims; with the help of their spiritual disease, they are uprooting the foundations of the Muslims’ nationality and political system; and they are actively participating in creating various forms of discord against Islam, both from within and from without. In the Noble Qur’an, such people have been called hypocrites, or false believers, and the various disorders that arise in Muslim society as a result of their infiltration have also been mentioned in detail.

The identifying mark of this class of people is that they do claim to have faith, but in reality they are not believers:

———— Arabic text ——————-

“Those who say, ‘We have believed in Allah and the Hereafter,’ yet they are not believers.” –(Surah Al-Baqarah: 8)

They speak to Muslims as Muslims and to disbelievers as disbelievers:

———— Arabic text ——————-

“When they meet those who believe, they say, ‘We have believed,’ but when they go to their devils, they say, ‘Indeed, we are with you.’” –(Surah Al-Baqarah: 14)

They mock the Divine Word and mislead people by spreading doubts among them:

———— Arabic text ——————-

“When you see them rejecting Allah’s verses and mocking them, do not sit with them.” –(Surah An-Nisa: 140)

They are reluctant to fulfill their religious duties, and even when they do fulfill them, they do so only under compulsion and merely to be seen by the Muslims; otherwise, their hearts are fundamentally extremely reluctant to submit to Allah’s commandments:

———— Arabic text ——————-

“When they stand for prayer, they stand with great reluctance and do so only to show people; otherwise, they do not remember Allah. And even when they remember Him, they do so very little. They waver in between; they are neither wholly on this side nor on that side.” –(Surah An-Nisa: 142–143)

———— Arabic text ——————-

They do not come to prayer except reluctantly, nor do they spend in the way of Allah except unwillingly.” –(Surah At-Tawbah: 54)

———— Arabic text ——————-

“Among the Bedouins are some who regard spending anything in the way of Allah as a compulsory fine.” –(Surah At-Tawbah: 98)

They claim Islam, but do not follow Islamic law; rather, in their own affairs, they follow the laws of disbelief:

———— Arabic text ——————

“Have you not seen those who claim to believe in you and in the Book revealed before you, yet wish to take their affairs to satanic judges, although they have been commanded to reject their authority?” —(Surah An-Nisa: 60)

They not only corrupt their own deeds and conduct, but also strive to corrupt the beliefs and practices of the Muslims:

————- Arabic text —————–

“They enjoin wrongdoing, forbid what is right, and keep their hands closed against doing good. They have forgotten Allah, so He has forgotten them.” —(Surah At-Tawbah: 67)

————– Arabic text ——————-

“They wish that you would disbelieve just as they have disbelieved, so that you would become equal.” —(Surah An-Nisa: 89)

They remain with the Muslims only as long as they have interests at stake. Wherever there is no benefit, or little benefit, they abandon the company of the Muslims.

————– Arabic text —————

“Some of them taunt you concerning the distribution of charity; if they are given a share of it, they become pleased, but if they are not given anything, they become resentful.” —(Surah At-Tawbah: 58)

Thus, when danger closes in upon Islam and the Muslims, they refuse to fight, because they have no real love for Islam and therefore are unwilling to make any sacrifice for it; nor do they expect to receive any reward for making such a sacrifice. Indeed, they do not even believe in the truth of Islam; for this reason, they are not prepared to stake their lives for its sake. They try in various ways to stay away from the fighting and save their own lives. And even when they participate in a battle, they do so with the utmost reluctance. Consequently, their participation becomes a cause of weakness rather than strength for the Muslims. This condition of theirs has been described in detail in Surah Aal-e-Imran (Ruku 12–17), Surah An-Nisa (Ruku 10, 11, 12, 20), Surah At-Tawbah (Ruku 7, 11, 12), and Surah Al-Ahzab (Ruku 2).

Their most dangerous characteristic is that when calamities descend upon the Muslims, they join the side of the unbelievers. They provide them with information about what is happening among the Muslims. They express sympathy for them. They rejoice at the Muslims’ misfortunes. They betray their own people and gain benefits and status from the unbelievers. They step forward and participate in every fitnah opposed to Islam. And they continue conspiring to create disunity and disorder within the ranks of the Muslims. This characteristic, too, has been described extensively in Aal-e-Imran, An-Nisa, At-Tawbah, Al-Ahzab, and Al-Munafiqun.

From this, it can be clearly understood that pure, sound, and genuine faith is absolutely essential for the establishment, permanence, and firmness of the Islamic way of life. Weakness of faith renders the entire system hollow, from its very roots to its branches. Nothing—civilization, culture, morality, social life, or politics—can remain safe from its devastating effects.

9

The Hereafter

Is there any life after death? If so, what kind of life is it? This question is fundamentally beyond the limits of our knowledge and intellect. For we have no eyes with which to peer beyond the boundary of death and see what is there—or what is not there. We have no ears with which to hear any sound from beyond. We do not even possess any instrument capable of establishing with certainty whether anything exists beyond it at all. Thus, from the standpoint of science, this question lies entirely beyond its limits. Anyone who denies life after death by appealing to science is undoubtedly making an unscientific claim. From the scientific perspective, just as it cannot be said that there is life there, it cannot be said that there is no life there either. Therefore, until at least some certain source of knowledge concerning it is found, the truly scientific position might be that we should neither affirm nor deny the Hereafter.

But can this scientific position be adopted in practical life? Certainly not. From an intellectual standpoint, it may be possible to refrain from reaching either a negative or positive conclusion about something until the means and instruments for knowing it have been fully brought under our control. But when our practical life becomes connected with that matter, we have no alternative but to determine our course of action on the basis of either affirming or denying it. For example, suppose you know nothing about a person. If you have to conduct some transaction with him, you are compelled to act either on the assumption that he is trustworthy or on the assumption that he is dishonest. You may, of course, think to yourself, “I will deal with him in a doubtful frame of mind until it is proven whether he is trustworthy or dishonest.” But if you act while regarding his trustworthiness as doubtful, the practical nature of your conduct will be just as though you considered him dishonest. Thus, in practical matters, a state of doubt between affirmation and denial may exist only in the mind; a practical course of action can never be determined on the basis of doubt. For that, affirmation or denial is absolutely essential.

A little deeper reflection is enough to make it clear that the question of the life hereafter is not merely a philosophical question; rather, it has a profound connection with our practical life. In fact, our entire moral outlook depends on this question. If I believe that everything in life ends with this worldly life and that there is no life after it, then my moral conduct will be of one kind. But if I believe that there is another life after this one, where I will have to account for all the actions of my present life and where I will experience a good or evil outcome on the basis of what I have done in this life, then surely my moral conduct will be entirely different. Let us give an example. Suppose a person is travelling with the belief that he only has to go from here to Karachi. Once he reaches Karachi, not only will his journey come to an eternal end, but he will also be completely beyond the reach of the police, the courts and all investigating authorities there.

On the other hand, another person believes that his journey from here to Karachi is only one stage. After that, he must go to another country across the sea, whose king is also the king of this country. The secret record of all his actions while he was in Pakistan is kept in that king’s office. There, his record will be examined and assessed to determine what rank he deserves in view of his deeds. You can easily imagine how contradictory the conduct of these two persons will be. The first person will prepare only for the journey from here to Karachi, while the second will continue preparing for the long stages that follow as well. The first person will think that all profit and loss end upon reaching Karachi, and that there is nothing beyond it. The second person, however, will believe that the real profit and loss lie not in the first stage of the journey but in its final stage. The first person will pay attention only to those consequences of his actions that may become apparent during the journey to Karachi. The second person’s attention will be directed toward those consequences that will become apparent upon reaching that country across the sea. Clearly, the difference between the conduct of these two persons is the direct result of their respective ideas about their journey. In exactly the same way, belief concerning life after death profoundly influences our moral life and ultimately determines its course. Whenever we have to take a step in practical affairs, the direction of that step depends on whether we are acting on the assumption that this is the first and final life, or looking toward another life and its consequences. In the first case our action will be of one kind, while in the second it will be entirely different.

It is clear from this that the question of the life hereafter is not merely a philosophical and intellectual question; rather, it is a question of practical life. In these circumstances, there is no room for doubt or hesitation about it. Whether we remain in doubt or adopt whatever outlook in life, in the end it will be the outlook of a disbeliever. Therefore, no matter from what perspective we judge the matter, we are compelled to reach a final decision on the question of whether there is life after death. If science does not help us in this matter, we must seek the help of intellectual reasoning and evidence.

Now let us examine what resources we have for intellectual reasoning and evidence. The first resource before us is the human being, and the second is this world order. We shall examine human beings against the backdrop of this world order and see whether all their needs and demands as human beings are being fulfilled within this system, or whether something remains unfulfilled, making another kind of system necessary for them. Look at the human body: it is a combination of numerous minerals, salts, water and gases. Alongside this, the universe also contains soil, rocks, metals, salt, gases, rivers and other such things. These things require laws to function in their respective spheres. Such laws are active throughout the universe. Just as those laws in the external environment allow mountains, rivers and air to perform their respective functions, the human body likewise has the opportunity to function under them.

Secondly, the human body takes nourishment from the objects around it and grows and develops. This kind of order is also present among the trees, vines, shrubs, grasses and other forms of creation, and here too we can observe the existence of laws necessary for living bodies that are growing.

Thirdly, the human body is a living entity that moves of its own will, gathers its own food, takes responsibility for its own protection and makes its own arrangements for preserving its lineage. Many other forms of life of this kind also exist in creation; countless living creatures can be observed in the water, on land and in the atmosphere, and laws suitable for governing the whole of their lives are fully active here as well.

In addition to all this, human beings possess another entity, which we call the moral self. They have a sense of doing good and committing evil, an awareness of the distinction between good and evil, and the ability to do good and commit evil. Their nature expects good results from good deeds and bad results from evil deeds. They instinctively distinguish among such various moral qualities as oppression, justice, truthfulness, falsehood, right and wrong, compassion, cruelty, gratitude, generosity, miserliness and betrayal of trust. These qualities can in fact be observed in their lives. They are not imaginary things; rather, they exert an influence on human society and civilization in the real world. Therefore, by nature, human beings intensely expect moral consequences from their actions, just as they expect their natural consequences.

But look deeply at the present world order: can the moral consequences of human actions be fully manifested within this system? I can state with certainty that there is no possibility of this here. For, at least to my knowledge, there is no other living being here endowed with a moral self. Moreover, the entire universe is governed according to natural laws. Nowhere in it can a moral law be seen at work. Here silver has both weight and value, but truth has neither weight nor value. Here a mango seed invariably produces a mango tree; but those who sow the seeds of truth are sometimes showered with flowers and sometimes—indeed, in most cases—pelted with shoes. Here there are definite laws for material elements, and definite results invariably appear in accordance with those laws. But there are no definite laws for moral elements, nor do definite results invariably appear through their operation. Because of the authority and dominance of natural law, moral results can never be fully manifested here; even when they do appear, they appear only to the extent permitted by natural law. Indeed, in many cases it is seen that although an action may, from a moral point of view, be likely to produce a particular result, the intervention of natural law causes the result to become entirely the opposite. Through its social, cultural, and political systems, humanity itself has made a slight effort to ensure that the moral consequences of its actions follow a regulated pattern. But this effort has proved very limited and extremely defective. On the one hand, natural law has kept it limited and defective; on the other, humanity’s own weakness has further aggravated these defects.

I would like to clarify my point with a few examples. Suppose one person is the enemy of another and sets fire to his house; the house will burn down. That is the natural or physical consequence of his action. Its moral consequence should be that the person receives punishment proportionate to the harm he has caused the family. But the manifestation of this consequence depends on several factors—for example, finding the arsonist, handing him over to the police, establishing his guilt, the court accurately determining the losses suffered by the burned family and its future descendants, and punishing the offender with precisely that degree of justice. If any one of these conditions is not fulfilled, the moral consequence will not be manifested at all, or only a very small part of it will be manifested. It may even happen that, having completely destroyed his enemy, the person continues to live in perfect happiness in this world.

Let us give an even greater example. A few individuals gain enormous influence over their own nation, and the entire nation follows their every signal. Taking advantage of this situation, they instill among the people an extreme spirit of national worship and imperialist frenzy. In this way, they provoke wars with neighboring nations, kill millions of innocent people, destroy country after country, and force crores

of people to live lives of humiliation and disgrace. Their deeds will naturally create a tremendous reaction in human history, and that reaction will continue from generation to generation, age after age. Do you think that these few individuals can ever receive, in this worldly life, the full and just punishment proportionate to the great crimes they have committed? Clearly, even if all the flesh were cut from their bodies, or they were burned alive, or any other severe punishment within human power were inflicted upon them, they could never receive punishment equal to the harm they have caused to millions upon millions of people and their future descendants. For under the natural laws by which the present world order is governed, it is utterly impossible for punishment equal to the crime to be received.

The same may be said of the ideal great men of the world. They taught humanity honesty and justice and showed it an illuminated path for living. Through their boundless generosity, countless people have continued to benefit, generation after generation and age after age, and there is no telling how much longer they will benefit in the future. Can these great men receive the full reward for their deeds in this world? Can you imagine that, under the present natural laws, a person can receive the reward for an action whose effects may continue to spread among countless people for thousands of years even after his death?

I have already said that, first, under the laws governing the present world order, there is no possibility of receiving the full moral consequences of human actions. Second, the effects of the actions people perform during their short lives here are so far-reaching and long-lasting that experiencing their full consequences would require a life lasting thousands, indeed millions, of years. But under the present natural laws, it is impossible for human beings to live so long. From this it is clear that the present physical world and its natural laws are sufficient for the material, formal, and biological components of the human being. But this world is wholly inadequate for his moral component. For that, another world order is necessary, in which moral law will be the governing law, while natural law, remaining subordinate to it, will function only as an aid. There, life will not be limited but infinite, and all moral consequences that remain unmanifested here or appear here in a different form will be manifested there correctly and in full. There, the weight and value of good deeds and truthfulness will take the place of gold and silver. There, fire will burn only those who, for moral reasons, are deserving of being burned. There, the righteous will find happiness and peace, while evildoers will suffer. Intellect, nature, and innate disposition all naturally demand such a world order.

In this matter, intellect completes its task merely by taking us as far as what ought to be. Now, neither our intellect nor our knowledge is capable of reaching any final conclusion as to whether such a world actually exists. In this matter, only the Qur’an helps us. Its declaration is that what your intellect and nature demand will, in reality, indeed come to pass. The world order founded on the present natural laws will one day be shattered, and thereafter a new order will be established. There, the heavens, the earth, and everything between them will assume a different form. Then Allah Almighty will resurrect everyone who has come into the world from the beginning of creation until the Day of Resurrection, and all will appear before Him together. There, the records of the deeds of every individual, every nation, and the entire human race will be preserved in a flawless and perfect state. A complete account of the effects produced in this world by every act of every individual will be present there. Every human community connected with these effects will appear in the witness stand. The atoms and particles upon which the impressions of human words and deeds have fallen will also present their own accounts. The very hands and feet, eyes and ears, tongue, and other bodily organs of human beings will testify as to the uses to which they were put. Then the Supreme Judge will declare, with perfect justice and on the basis of these records of deeds, who is deserving of how much reward and how much punishment. The scope of this reward or punishment will be so vast that it will be impossible to comprehend even on the basis of the limited measures of the present world. There, the measures of time and space will be different, and the natural laws will also be different. There, the good deeds whose effects have continued in this world for thousands of years will receive their full recompense. Death, illness, and old age will not cause the slightest disturbance to one’s happiness and peace. Likewise, one will have to undergo the full punishment for the evil deeds whose effects in this world have spread to countless people over thousands of years. Neither death nor unconsciousness will be able to save one from that punishment.

I feel compassion for those whose mental narrowness leads them to regard such a life and world as impossible. If our present world order can exist with the present natural laws, then why should another world order not be able to exist with some other natural laws? Of course, the possibility of such a world cannot be determined by any empirical evidence. For this, faith in the unseen, or iman bil-ghayb, is absolutely necessary.

— The End —